Greed and Hatred
by BEASTMASTERTOAD
Summary: Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history... Sequel to the Fused Shadow
1. Prologue

"_Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred…"_

There was a time when the Sheikah tribe was a whole people that protected Hyrule side by side with the rest of the tribes of Hyrule. We served the Royal Family of Hyrule, acting in the shadows in their stead to keep Hyrule and the Great Mystery concealed within her arms safe. The Sheikahs and the Hylians looked upon each other as equals. We worked in a perfect harmony to carry out the commission of the Goddesses, to protect Hyrule's Great Mystery.

But then, seventy and six years ago, a sudden and unjust conflict had occurred between us and the Hylians. The Royal Family turned against us and attempted to exterminate the Sheikah tribe, believing that we sought to betray them. The conflict was not resolved without the blood of my people being cast to the ground. It came to pass that it was the King's paranoia that caused him to war with the Sheikah and he was removed from the Throne by way of death.

Somehow, my people were able to move on from that time, though reluctantly. For the next few years, we lived again in peace and tandem, though the harmony that once existed was lost. There seemed to be a thick tension between the two tribes. And not long after, the tension caused the peace to break, and war once again erupted in the Kingdom of Hyrule. This time, the fighting would not end until one side or the other had completely fallen.


	2. Chapter One: Murmurs

**Chapter One: Murmurs**

Link sat at the center of the long table of the Private Meeting Chamber alone in silence. The midday sunlight shot small rays through the open windows that lined the wall behind him. The light reflected from various angles throughout the room, driving off darkness, but at the same time lighting the room just enough to give it a comfortably dark and relaxed feeling. Link rested his chin on his joined hands that rested on the table top. He was meditating over the meeting that he would have with the three Dukes of the Kingdom; Duke Gregora of the Duchy of Sapientia, Duke Antoni of the Duchy of Poder, and Duke Aloiso of the Duchy of Fortitudo.

The three Duchies were devised after the last great battle, twenty years ago, to strengthen the Kingdom's defenses against any future insurgency or crises. Sapientia was the northern and western part of Hyrule, Poder was the eastern part of Hyrule, and Fortitudo was the southern area. The respective Duke of each area maintained political order and balance in each Duchy and commanded a brigade of soldiers that served to protect the area. In addition, each Duke was a member of the Royal Family; distant cousins or uncles to the Queen.

Though these Duchies were supposed to relieve some of the stress of single-handedly ruling over a Kingdom, creating them had little effect for Link. He still found himself working as hard as ever, ensuring that each of these systems ran perfectly, or as close to it as possible. To add further to his stress, he had been hearing murmurs of the people being restless in the face of him and Zelda's rule. He couldn't help but to be slightly worried that someone may be stirring up trouble for him somewhere.

Link leaned back in his chair, looking up to the ceiling and let out a slight chuckle. Looking at his own situation, he drew a humorous – but disturbing – parallel to the former King that caused the conflict with the Sheikah tribe, thirty six years ago. He could see how that King slipped into a paranoid madness, especially since Link was under such immense pressure that he too felt as if he could snap into said insanity.

As Link reflected, he heard the latch of the door suddenly click. He sat up as the door opened up, revealing Rauru, the late King's surviving advisor and current Sage of Hyrule.

"Good day, Sage Rauru," Link greeted the man, rubbing his scruffy beard, more out of nervousness than because of an itch.

"The same to you, Your Majesty," Rauru replied, nodding his head slightly as he made his way to an empty seat to Link's right. He sat in the chair and straightened his brown monk robe. "Are you troubled, Your Majesty?" he asked, taking note of Link's uneasy countenance.

"Did the late King ever have any stressful periods during his reign?" Link asked, starring down at the table.

"His reign was nothing but a stressful time for him. He was left with the mess that his predecessor left behind, his wife died giving birth to Her Majesty, and he had to deal with the tense situation with those Patriarchs of that tribe."

"The Ranul…" Link added, his words trailing as he spoke them. That time period was a sad one for him and all of his close friends that lived through it. Many people died trying to protect the Kingdom from that tribe. The power lusts of a few men caused the deaths of hundreds of people. Link felt a sense of regret every time the subject was brought up.

Rauru put his hand on Link's shoulder. "Your Majesty, I know that you are having a hard time dealing with this burden, but you must know that you have the aid of all of the Sages, your General, and the Dukes. You are trying to do everything yourself and you are finding that you are unable to accomplish everything alone. Do not make the mistake of ruling the Kingdom on your own."

Link looked Rauru in the eyes. Those words reminded him of similar words that were spoken to him many years ago.

_'You have friends to depend on, don't do this alone.'_

Medi, the Village Chief of Kakariko Village, spoke those words to him. He smiled and stood from his chair and made his way to a window. "You sound just like Medi, Rauru," Link said as he looked outside the window to Castle Town in the distance.

"Sage Medi from Kakariko, Your Highness?" Rauru asked with slight confusion.

"She said similar words to me during my time as the Hero." Link focused his gaze on the Temple of Time. "It's a lesson that I often forget."

The door creaked open once again, the Chief of Sheikah passing through this time. His long black hair wore bands of gray that displayed his progressing age. "Your Majesty," he began as he walked to a vacant spot, one seat away from Link's left, "The Dukes are on their way here. They have just entered the Castle."

"Thank you, Chief," answered Link, turning to him, away from the window. "Have you heard anything new?" he asked in a more serious tone.

The Chief of Sheikah took his seat. "There have been reports of a troublesome rumor going around." He paused to briefly scan the room. "There's been talk of a plotted uprising among certain soldiers and even some citizens in Agri Village."

Link rubbed his bearded chin. "That's Duke Gregora's territory…" he said, almost to himself.

"And also," the Chief started, hesitantly, "Recently, there has been reports of some tension between some Hylians and Sheikah in Castle Town."

"Tension?" Rauru repeated for clarification.

"Yes. Castle Guard has had to make a few arrests of some unruly citizens starting trouble with some of the Sheikah in Castle Town."

Link took his seat. "Do you believe that there's some relation to the rumors?"

The Chief of Sheikah shook his head. "I can't say if there is or not. Let's just hope that all they are is rumors."

There was a knock at the door.

"You may enter," Link called out.

The door opened; the General proceeding through. "Your Majesty, now presenting the Duke of Sapientia, the Duke of Poder, and the Duke of Fortitudo." The General stepped aside as the three Dukes entered the room, followed by the twelve Knights of Hyrule. The Dukes took their seats on the opposite side of the table that Link sat at. The Knights of Hyrule formed on both sides of the room, six behind Link, the other six behind the Dukes. The General closed the door and took his seat at Link's left.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Link started, "I trust that your escort here was fine?"

"Oh yes, Your Majesty," Duke Gregora said, "I always enjoy the ride to the Castle through the plains of Hyrule."

"I see that the Castle is as fine as ever," Duke Antoni noted, looking around the room.

"We have been working hard to renovate the Castle. I'm glad for your complements," Link replied.

"Well, your architects must be worth their keep to make such great progress in only half a year," said Duke Aloiso.

Link leaned forward in his chair. "Before I begin, is there anything of significance to report concerning your respective Duchies?"

Duke Gregora stroked his lengthy parted moustache. "Hmm… I have been hearing a quite curious rumor lately about a plotted uprising."

"An uprising?" Duke Aloiso asked looking slightly surprised at the information.

"Yes, some of my soldiers have been talking about this rumor. I haven't been able to discover who's behind it though."

Duke Antoni folded his arms in thought. "Now that I think about it, I do remember hearing a servant or two gossiping about something similar."

"Do any of you have any ideas as to where these rumors could be coming from?" the Chief of Sheikah asked.

Duke Antoni shook his head. "Haven't the least bit of idea."

"I can't say that I have heard anything about these rumors. Fortitudo is usually pretty quiet. Not much news or anything goes through their too much, save for the occasional murmur in Lacus Village," Duke Aloiso imputed.

"If that is all," Link began, "Then let me bring up the reason why we are meeting today." He paused, collecting his thoughts quickly. "As of late, it has been brought to my attention that there has been some unrest among the citizens about the state of the Kingdom. Is there any reason that any of you can think of that would cause this?"

"Maybe it's just that after going through two conflicts in a relatively short period of time, they just aren't used to peace anymore," the General said.

"I've been hearing that some people don't think that you understand them. They believe that you only stay within the confines of the Castle, not wanting to deal with the people." Duke Gregora added, almost with an agreeing tone.

"In addition to that," started Duke Antoni, "Some of them don't agree with a King not being a proper member of the Royal Family."

Link looked at him in surprise. "How does anyone know that I am not of the Royal Family proper? No one was informed about my origin."

"Well, it was likely the help around the Castle that somehow overheard and spread the word. You know how they are," Duke Aloiso said in a condescending manner.

"Are you sure that none of you spoke anything within your own estates?" Rauru asked, not convinced that what Duke Aloiso said was the case.

"Rauru, you wound me with your words!" Duke Aloiso rebuked, "We would never be so careless as to speak such secrecies within danger's earshot."

"And what would lead them to believe that I do not know the people?" Link asked.

"It might be related to the fact that they somehow know that Your Majesty was not nobility," answered Duke Antoni.

Link held his chin in thought, not saying anything for a moment. "Well, I think that this is a good time to end our meeting for now. I know that you three must be tired after traveling here from your estates," he said, standing up from his chair. "My Twelve Knights, please escort them to the Northern Tower and show them to their quarters."

"By your command!" the Knights all sounded off as they formed at the door, preparing to escort the three Dukes.

"We look forward to our meeting tomorrow, Your Majesty," Duke Gregora concluded as he walked to the door.

"Please give our best regards to Her Majesty," Duke Aloiso said as he followed the rest out the door.

"Good day, Your Majesty," the General said as he closed the door behind them.

"What do you think?" Link asked the Chief of Sheikah, taking his seat once again.

"They are definitely up to no good," the Chief said, folding his arms.

"I had forgotten that there's almost nothing a Sheikah cannot see," Rauru remarked.

"I can't tell what exactly their goal is, but it seems that they've been planting these so-called rumors among the people," the Chief added.

Link stood from his chair and began walking to the door. "Chief of Sheikah; please task someone to keep an eye on them and see if they're up to anything."

"I will, Your Majesty," he replied, standing from his seat.

Rauru followed suit. "Are there any other preparations that you wish to make?"

Link stopped at the front of the door and looked back. "Let's not be too quick to make any moves just yet. We'll see if this is really anything to worry about before we take action." He opened the door and left the room.


	3. Chapter Two: Uncertainty Principle

**Chapter Two: Uncertainty Principle**

~~~A cool evening breeze flowed through the wide expanses of the Battle Yard of the Castle. The sun seemed to stand on the ramparts of the Castle as it emitted a gold and orange array of light. A young man wearing a gray tunic that draped to his knees and black, worn leather boots stepped along the cobblestone walkway of the Battle Yard, making his way inward towards the main body of the Castle. Dried sweat and mud stained his attire and his face, diminishing his would-be appealing countenance. He was among the soldiers of the Castle Guard, training along with them. He along with the soldiers of Castle Guard was leaving the Battle Yard to either return home for the evening or to take up their post at some other location around the Castle or in Castle Town.

Lately, he had begun to notice a certain feeling of disquiet among the soldiers. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason or when it actually started, but the tension was there. Nevertheless, he shook away the thought, dismissing it as nothing more than his own paranoia.

He entered the Castle's West Wing and navigated through the extravagant halls, lined with display suits of armor, shinned marble tiles, and chandeliers made of glass and gold. Various people, from servants to guards, nobles to civilians, walked the halls along with him. According to what he had read and heard, before the current King and Queen, average citizens were not allowed to go to and from the Castle unless appointed to do so. Now, the people were allowed to visit the Castle, rather it was for the sake of visiting, or seeking out the attention of the King. Though he believed that it was great to give the people a more personal look at the Royal Family, he felt that it would breed disrespect on the behalf of the people. They would see this brand of kindness as a weakness and try to take advantage of it. The General also seemed to feel this way, from the conversations he has had with him.

He made a turn at a junction in the hallway and went inward to the main body of the Castle. The chandeliers were already being lit by the servants; a host of them were making their way down the hall with long poles that held a small fire at the ends of them, lighting the wicks of the many candles that made up the chandeliers.

"I'm going to be late if I don't hurry…" he muttered to himself as he picked up the pace of his walk.

At last, after climbing many staircases and venturing down extensive halls, he made it to the Dinning Room of the Royal Family. He looked down at his clothes to see if they were in order, but he frowned slightly at the realization that he hadn't cleaned up since he left the Battle Yard. He wanted to use this as an excuse not to go to the dinner, but with the Dukes also attending, he wouldn't be able to do so without serious chastisement from the King and the Queen. He sighed and approached the door. The two guards posted at the door gave him a quick look and nodded, standing at attention. He waved his hand to them to relieve them and then he twisted the doorknob and went in.

Inside the room, there was a long table with a white table covering and many dishes of food spanning the table's length. He saw the King and the Queen at the middle of the table with the three Dukes directly opposite to them.

"Good evening, everyone. Forgive my appearance. I had just left my training before coming here," he greeted them, slightly bowing his head in an apologetic manner.

Duke Gregora gave a slightly taken aback look at him. "Have you been working hard, Prince Nohansen?"

Nohansen gave a bashful smile as he made his way to King Link's left. "Yes, Great Uncle. The General's been working me harder than ever, since I'm getting to be the age of a soldier." He took his seat beside his father as he finished.

Duke Gregora chuckled slightly. "Please, Your Highness, don't refer to me like that. You make me feel older than I am!"

"Just as long as you don't refer to me as 'Prince Nohansen'," Nohansen answered him with a playful look.

Queen Zelda looked over to Nohansen with a stern look. "Nohansen, you should have at least let the General know of our dinner so that you could have cleaned up."

"The thought slipped my mind. I'm sorry," Nohansen explained, hoping to dismiss any more conversation about his countenance.

"Do not worry, cousin, it is quite fine. I think it's good that the boy is working so hard to be a fine commander," Duke Aloiso assured Queen Zelda.

"Now that my son has arrived," started King Link, "Let us begin our meal."

As soon as he said that, the servants that were standing by around the room moved to the table and began serving the food on the table to them on their plates, starting with the main dish, a baked Cucco.

"How has Agri Village been?" asked Queen Zelda, in an effort to start conversation.

"The agriculture has been flourishing this year. Despite the bitter winter we had, the plenteous amount of rain we've been getting over the spring has proven to be a blessing for the farmers," answered Duke Gregora as he took his first few chews of the white, tender Cucco meat.

"And Lon-Lon Village is doing quite well with its Cows and Cucco," started Antoni as he sat down his goblet of milk, "Our trade with Kakariko Village is also robust too, despite their usual reclusion from the rest of Hyrule."

"I've also heard similar things from Kakariko's Village Chief about the good trade between them and Lon-Lon," King Link added. Suddenly, he looked up from his plate as his memory was jogged. "Oh, how is your family, Aloiso?"

Duke Aloiso sat his silverware aside. "They are all as lively as ever," he answered with a smile, "My two little girls are getting to that age of curiosity. Now they want to get into everything, so that makes the wife's job a little harder."

Duke Antoni sighed in a pronounced manner. "Your life would be much easier if you remained a bachelor; All the pleasures of marriage without any of the commitment." He glanced over to King Link. "Not to offend you, my cousin, but that's just my preference."

"Bah, listen to this fool," Duke Aloiso remarked in jest, "Nohansen, don't you grow up to be like him. Find yourself a wife and live a nice and steady life."

"Well, I do hope that we figure out where these rumors are coming from though, about this supposed uprising," Duke Gregora said, suddenly changing the topic.

Nohansen sat up straighter in his seat, intrigued by this topic.

"Yes," Duke Antoni added, "It is rather disturbing that someone would want to ruin this long peace that we've enjoyed."

Someone was planning an uprising? This was news to Nohansen.

"Now I know that this information is worrisome, but let's not talk about politics during dinner," King Link concluded the topic, sounding a little disdain about the topic.

Nohansen's eyes slightly fell at the early ending to that interesting bit of conversation. Even though it was none of his business, he always longed to have some sort of involvement in foiling a political plot of some kind or at least being able to see how it played out. Disappointed, he continued to eat his meal in silence as he listened to the generic chatter that they exchanged once more.

Moonlight, filtered by the glass of a nearby window, fell softly on Nohansen's face as he lay in his bed, restless. For awhile, he had been making attempts to fall asleep once more, but he was unable to do so. He was trying to gaze at the half moon, hoping to find rest within its incomplete shape, but foreboding thoughts continued to creep into his mind. He noticed that his father seemed quiet and intense in front of the Dukes at the dinner. In addition to that was the fact that they brought up talk of a rumored uprising. He thought that perhaps the uneasiness of the soldiers recently may be related to this also.

Something was going on, but he had no idea what. Frustrated, Nohansen got up from his bed and slipped on his night shoes, preparing to go for a walk. He needed to settle himself, and lying in a bed wasn't helping him. He opened the door of his bed room and quietly made his way out of King's Tower, where he and his parents lived. On his way out, he had to dismiss the guards posted at the tower's entrance.

The halls of the main Castle were overtaken with a sense of apprehension. The torches that lined the walls of the hall were barely enough to fend off the overcoming darkness. The vacant shells of armor that stood silently along the hall served to further stigmatize Nohansen's view of the atmosphere. He had heard terrifying stories from the General about an insane man that once ravaged through these halls in a murderous rage. According to him, it was the most horrifying moment in his life. Nohansen found it frightening that such an event took place within this very place. It was almost as unbelievable as the fact that a battle once took place on the grounds of the Castle too.

As he walked, he caught the sound of voices echoing not to far ahead of him. Their source seemed to be around a corner at the junction ahead of him. He cautiously approached the intersection of the hallway, quieting his footsteps as he went. The voices were becoming clearer as he drew nearer. He looked around for what he could hide in to avoid detection and found a table with a table cloth draping down nearly to the floor on it. He quickly crawled under the table and listened.

"Tomorrow?" a weathered and grizzly voice asked.

Nohansen recognized the voice almost at once: the General.

"Yes. Now, while we're in the Castle, is the best opportunity we'll get for another few months, if that," another voice responded.

Nohansen figured the voice to be that of Duke Gregora.

"Are you sure about doing it so soon, though? My soldiers are ready, but we can't wait another day?" the General petitioned, sounding unwilling to carryout whatever the object of their discussion was.

"In order to take the Throne by surprise, we must strike fast and hard. We can't allow another day for them to potentially discover what we're up to," a new voice added.

This voice was apparently Duke Aloiso. If those two were there, then Duke Antoni was also there.

"Exactly," another voice said; Duke Antoni's, "Don't forget that that Sheikah mongrel was present at the meeting earlier today. I live near their home village, so I know better than anyone about their ability to see the unseen; and even into our minds. He's bound to have uncovered a little bit of our plot already. If we wait another day and allow another meeting to pass, they'll know for sure."

"Hmm… You're right," agreed the General, "I've worked with that man for many years, so I know that he knows enough to incriminate us already." Footsteps sounded, moving toward the junction. "I'll prepare the Knights and soldiers who are with me to initiate tomorrow."

From his view under the draped table cloth, Nohansen caught sight of the General's brown boots as he crossed into view.

"There can be no mistakes," Duke Gregora called to the General, "Make sure that you've reconciled fully with this before time."

The General made a turn and continued down the hall, appearing not to be affected by Duke Gregora's parting words. The footsteps of the Dukes all began at once after a few moments. They passed into view as they made a turn in the direction that Nohansen had just walked from. After walking down the way for a bit, they began speaking to each other again, but their words were too soft to hear. Nohansen would have to wait a while before he returned to his room again, since he would have to walk in the same direction as them to make it back.

He felt jagged chills sting his spine as he attempted to process in his mind what he had just witnessed. This is the apparent rumor of the uprising: the Dukes were planning to usurp the Throne. What shook him to his core was that the General, the man he looked up to – the man he trusted – was involved in this plot. How could he betray his father so easily, so coldly? It all made sense to him now, though: the reason why his father seemed rigid at the dinner and the disquiet of the soldiers. The question on his mind now was if whether he had time to warn his father before it was too late. But the fact that the General suggested that he already had soldiers and Knights on board with the plan was also worrisome. How much influence had they gained at this point?

Nohansen crawled from under the table and stood up. He looked around quickly to ensure that neither the General nor the Dukes were in sight before he walked back to the tower.


	4. Chapter Three: Revolution

**Chapter Three: Revolution**

~~~As soon as the sun had risen, Nohansen went from his bed to his closet and put on his silver and white battle armor and secured his halberd and rapier. If they planned to launch the takeover today, then he had little time to lose. Every second was precious, but he had to make sure he was level-headed at the same time. He couldn't afford to act too erratically, lest they'd know that he overheard them. He dressed for battle just incase the worst occurred, and he hoped that such wouldn't be the case. He knew that his father would be on his way to the Throne Room for an audience with some citizens from Castle Town, so he needed to catch up with him before that, or he would have to break protocol completely and barge in on the audience.

With great urgency, he marched out of his room. The King's Tower was already close to the Throne Room, so there wasn't much need for him to rush his way there, but all the same, he couldn't afford to move at leisure. Based on the General's statement, it seems that they were planning some sort of armed takeover. If that was the case, then would they storm through the Castle and murder all of his father's supporters, or would they force him to concede his rule to them? Nohansen knew that they were relying on the element of surprise, so he needed to take that away from them before they could make their move.

At last, Nohansen arrived at the outside staircase that led to the massive Throne Room atop the Castle. The morning air was moist and warm, with surprisingly little wind blowing through the top of the Castle. The white and gold rays of the sun cast as cheerful light upon the form of the Castle, contrasting the dire moment that was supposed to take place. After what seemed an eternity, he made it to the end of the stack of stairs and went forth as calmly as he could into the Throne Room.

Scanning through the room, he didn't see any one other than six of the Twelve Knights of Hyrule and about a dozen guards posted. He made it before the audience. He continued down the blue and gold carpet until he stopped at the foot of the steps that led to his father, who stood from his seat, surprised to see his son at a time like this.

"Nohansen, why have you come? I'm supposed to hold an audience soon," King Link told his son.

"Father, I have some urgent news to tell you!" Nohansen informed King Link, as he began to approach his father once more.

King Link stepped forward a little. "Urgent?"

Nohansen stopped when he was within a whisper of his father. "Last night, I went for a walk to try to get myself settled so I could sleep when I overheard a plot," he began to explain in a voice that only his father could hear.

"You overhear a plot?" King Link asked in a confirming tone.

"Yes, it was the General and the Dukes talking about an overthrow that is supposed to take place today."

King Link gasped lightly as he processed the information. "Do you know any details?"

"Apparently, they have some soldiers and Knights under their influence here in the Castle and they are going to initiate their plan today. I didn't hear a time or how," Nohansen said, glancing back at the Knights and soldiers that stood in the Castle.

King Link nodded at Nohansen and then made a sudden and quick hand signal. A Sheikah warrior appeared out of nowhere before him.

"Please inform the Chief of Sheikah about what you've just heard," King Link commanded the Sheikah.

As quickly as he arrived, he vanished out of sight to complete his assigned task.

"Nohansen, I want you to find your mother and escort her out of the Castle, but do not let anyone know what you're doing, is that clear?" his father told his son, looking at him grimly.

Nohansen nodded and began his departure from the Throne Room, trying to remain as calm as he could, even though his whole body shook in fear and excitement at what was taking place. No one could be trusted at this point, since there was no telling who was against him or with him.

Minutes later, Nohansen arrived once again at the King's Tower. He dismissed several on-duty guards who stood on ceremony as he passed through. He could tell that they wondered why he was fully dressed as if for battle. In little time, he made it to his parent's room. After relieving the guards who stood by, he entered the room, attempting to swallow the fear that was starting to overtake him. His mother sat in a chair at the other end of the room, near a series of windows that lined the wall. She was reading a book.

"Mother," Nohansen called, walking to her.

Queen Zelda looked up from her reading in surprise. "Nohansen, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at your training?"

Nohansen took a knee by her chair and looked around briefly to ensure that no one else was present in the room. "There's an emergency situation going on right now. I'll let you know what's happening on our way, but father wants us to flee the Castle through the escape route," he informed her in a hushed voice, careful not to speak loudly.

Queen Zelda gave a grave look as she closed her book and sat it on a nearby end table. She stood up and moved swiftly to another room in the area. A few seconds later, she returned with a sheathed weapon in hand.

"What's that for?" Nohansen asked, unsure why she had a short sword with her.

She fastened the weapon to her hip. "In my younger days, during the Great Battle, I fought alongside your father with this very sword." She began moving toward the door. "I'm more than capable of defending myself if anything happens."

Nohansen smiled a little at his mother's confidence and followed her out the door.

Sweat beaded around Nohansen's eyebrows as he and his mother moved about rather conspicuously through the Castle. He could feel the inquiring stares from guards as they passed. If he being fully dressed in armor didn't raise questions, the Queen being armed with a short sword definitely would. The morning sun shone brightly through the windows of the corridors. The more time passes, the greater the chance that they would be caught in the middle of this supposed revolution.

Eventually, they were at the bottom floor of the main body of the Castle. Many people were moving throughout the floor, going about their daily business, unaware that danger was drawing near for them all. They passed through the lobby of the main body's entrance and into a small, discrete hallway that led to a closed door. Luckily for them, they didn't have to pass through any guards. If they happened to pass the wrong guards, their chances for escape would have been minimal at best. Queen Zelda twisted and pushed open the door in a singular motion and entered, Nohansen following behind as he pushed the door shut. Inside the room were rows of bookshelves and evenly placed suits of armor that made up the primary pieces of furniture in the room. It appeared to be some sort of library, only, no librarian was in attendance. Zelda led Nohansen through the maze of shelved tomes until they stopped in front of a stone wall with two unlit candles protruding from it.

"Mother, what is this?" Nohansen asked, perplexed at why they stood in front of a wall in a library.

"This is the secret escape route," Queen Zelda plainly told Nohansen as she grabbed one of the protruding candles and pulled it downward, as if it was a lever.

The sound of gears turning and shifting was heard behind the wall. A few moments later, the wall itself began to move, rotating until it revealed a dark tunnel. Queen Zelda took a candle from a nearby desk and lit it with a flint that lay with it. "Let's go, Nohansen," she commanded him, as she stepped into the tunnel.

"Mother," he started, with nervousness in his voice, "I'm going to go back."

Queen Zelda looked at him in a shocked manner. "Nohansen, you can't go back. If there's a battle going on then you will be endanger," she protested.

"But father needs my help! I can't just leave him like this!" Nohansen said, gaining resolve in his decision.

"You have never even seen what war is like!"

"How can I if I'm never given the chance?"

Both of them were silent after Nohansen's words. He looked into his mother's worried eyes, determined to go to his father's aid, even if it was against his mother's wishes. Although the thought of warfare scared him, he had an intense and curious want to experience it. It was every boy's dream to become a sort of war hero at least once in his life, and he found himself as no exception.

Queen Zelda's expression changed from a troubled stare into a calmed and resolved smile. "I will continue ahead and meet you and your father at the safe house if there is danger. Be careful and trust no one but your father."

Nohansen smiled back at his mother in gratitude. "I will be safe. We will meet you soon," he said as he returned back through the threshold of the passage. As he stepped through, the wall shifted and rotated back into place; his mother's fleeting back being the last sight of her he saw before it closed.

"Your Majesty," one of the soldiers guarding the entrance to the Throne Room shouted, "An appointed audience of townsfolk are here for their audience!"

"Turn them away!" Link answered as he waved his hand in command, "Other matters have come up and I no longer have the ability to meet with them."

The soldier nodded and then proceeded from the Throne Room to turn away the coming citizens. He was awaiting word from the Chief of Sheikah about the number of soldiers still at his command, his escape route, and the movement of the Dukes and the General. He felt as if an intense pressure was smothering his senses. For all he knew, every soldier and Knight in the Throne Room could have already betrayed him. He was desolate and hopeless.

Suddenly, the Sheikah that he spoke to a while before appeared again to him. Link stood from his chair and walked to him. They stood behind the Throne for the sake of secrecy.

"What is the word from the Chief?" Link asked, anxious to hear the results.

"As of now, your safety is compromised. All of the soldiers in the Throne Room and eight of the Knights have sided with the General and the Dukes. As for the rest of your army, the guards who are patrolling the walls and courtyards of the Castle are still under your command. They constitute about one third of the soldiers stationed in the Castle. We currently have no information about the brigades stationed at the forts." The Sheikah peeked from around the Throne briefly to be sure that nothing was occurring behind them and then turned back to Link. "Your escape has been prepared, but the Chief of Sheikah advises against making for the escape route until the Dukes and the General have launched their attack."

"Have you assessed their movement yet?" Link asked, looking out into the rest of the room from where he stood.

"Yes. They currently have all of their men set up in the Castle on stand by at this time. The Dukes were last seen making their way out of the Noble's Tower. The General was noted to be moving from the Battle Yard. It will be minutes before they make their move."

"Thank you for the report. Stand by until --." Link stopped short of his sentence as he heard the sound of rushed footsteps. He walked from around the Throne to see Nohansen running hurriedly down the blue and gold carpet to him.

The Sheikah that consulted Link vanished as Link gave a small wave of dismissal to him. He walked to his son, wondering why he was here rather than with Zelda, escaping. "Nohansen, why are you still here?" he asked, saying it quietly to him.

"I'm staying with you to fight," he said with a determined voice.

"No, I can't have you risk your life here. I need you to escort your mother to safety. You and your mother are the first priority, not whether I win or lose my throne."

"Mother is already at the safe house. But I can't stand by knowing that my father's Kingdom is in danger. If I am to inherit this throne one day, I must be willing to defend it!" Nohansen replied to his father, almost raising his voice.

Link did not rebut Nohansen, but rather, he gave him a strong and almost pained look. "War is not a valiant or beautiful thing like the books often romanticize it to be. It's a cursed thing that costs so much more than the result it brings." Link grabbed hold of the hilt of his sword, the Ogenbard. "I've seen enemies and friends die right in front of me. Before you take up your arm for battle, be sure that you are ready to lose those you love the most."

From the severe look that Nohansen gave Link, he knew that he had understood what he meant.

"I understand the price, and I am willing to pay it if it means defending your honor, father," Nohansen answered, standing straighter than before.

"Your Majesty," a guard at the Throne Room's entrance suddenly called, "The Duke of Sapientia, the Duke of Poder, and the Duke of Fortitudo are now entering the Throne Room!"

Link's eyes narrowed. The moment of revolution had come. Duke Gregora appeared over the top of the staircase first, followed by Duke Antoni and Duke Aloiso. A platoon of soldiers followed behind them.

"Nohansen," Link said softly in his ear, "Do not do anything. Follow my lead and stay close."

Nohansen nodded in understanding and looked out to the foreboding platoon that followed behind the Dukes. The traitorous group stopped halfway from the steps of the Throne.

"I assume that you already have figured out what is going on here, Link?" Duke Gregora asked, knowing the answer to his own question.

"What do you want here, Duke?" he snarled, giving a fearsome glare to him.

"There are but two options for you and your family and supporters at this point: peacefully turn over your rule to us or death will be but a mercy from us if you do not."

"Those who stand guard in here with me choose whose side you shall serve," Link said with a firm voice, seemingly unmoved by the vicious threat.

After a moment of hesitation, all of the soldiers and eight of the Knights of Hyrule formed up with the platoon of soldiers that already sided with the Dukes. The remaining four Knights formed a wedge on Link and Nohansen.

Duke Antoni smirked. "I believe that answers your question as to who Hyrule would rather serve."

"You may have blinded them with false promises, but you will not succeed in whatever you three plan to gain," he said, drawing the Ogenbard slowly from its sheath.

The platoon moved to battle but they were stopped by Duke Aloiso raising his hand. "Link, I honestly do not care for you, but at least think of Zelda and Nohansen. If you give in now, they will continue to live the lives they have grown accustomed to. You will be spared torture and death, but I cannot give noble status to common blood."

Nohansen looked to Link with a worried expression. The Knights around him remained firm and prepared to fight, but not without a clear decision from Link.

Link took on a fighting stance. "We are prepared to die to protect this land from unrighteous rule."

Ten Sheikah appeared from nowhere and formed up with Link, Nohansen, and the four Knights. Among them was the Chief of Sheikah, standing beside Link.

"Your Majesty," he started, "We have prepared your escape. Follow me while the rest of my men distract them," he whispered to Link.

Duke Gregora chuckled loudly. "Do you honestly think you can overcome us with four Knights and a handful of Sheikah?" he scoffed. "Honestly, Chief of Sheikah, I expected you of all people to see the hopelessness of this situation."

"Run!!!" the Chief of Sheikah suddenly yelled as he turned and ran to the Throne.

Link, Nohansen, and the four Knights followed him as the other nine Sheikah remained in place.

"Stop them!!!" Duke Gregora commanded, signaling with the raising of his hand.

The platoon moved suddenly and quickly to apprehend them, but as they began to move, the Sheikah that impeded them made quick hand movements and a sudden burst of light occurred. The entire Throne Room was enshrouded in an incredible sunburst, blinding every soldier in the room. The intense display of light remained for a few seconds before it finally receded. All who remained in the Throne Room was the platoon of soldiers and the three Dukes; all of them stumbled around in complete blindness.


	5. Chapter Four: Dual Plot

**Chapter Four: Dual Plot**

~~~Loud, continuous echoes bounced throughout the lengthy stairwell that King Link, Nohansen, and their followers traveled down. From the secret entrance behind the Throne Room, they accessed this daunting stairwell that reached down the height of the Castle and even below. There was nothing special about the stairwell's aesthetics were nothing special; baked clay bricks made up everything. Since no light sources of any kind were present, the Chief of Sheikah led the way with a torch. Nohansen had heard stories of the hidden escape route that his mother took, under the Castle Bridge, but another secret exit behind the Throne Room was completely unheard of for him. He thought that his father was going to valiantly fight his way out in some romantic fashion, which was why he wanted to accompany him, but never did he realize that he had already planned his escape before the revolt occurred.

"Father," Nohansen quietly called King Link.

"Yes, son?" he responded, glancing at Nohansen.

"Don't you think they'll pursue us through here?"

"No, that couldn't happen. Certain actions must be made to open the entrance to this route, and only I and the Chief of Sheikah know what to do. Not only that, but they likely couldn't even find the entrance in the first place," answered King Link.

"This will allow us to gain some time to regroup, since they were already ahead of us as far as striking first goes," the Chief of Sheikah began to explain, "They have no idea where this escape leads to. The only factors that could work against us is if they track down our escaping soldiers, or if Lacus Village is already completely under their control."

"Lacus Village?" a Knight remarked, likely wondering how Lacus Village factored into this plan.

"Yes, this escape route requires us to travel by boat down the Zora River, until we reach Lake Hylia. From there, we row until we make it to the docks of Lacus Village. This should take us until the late afternoon to arrive, with the push of the river's current," the Chief further explained.

"Don't you think it might already be under the Duke of Fortitudo's influence?" another Knight added, knowing a few things about the current political situation from attending what was supposed to have been the first meeting of many the day before.

"That is a possibility that already has been considered, but with his residence being closer to Fort Fortitudo than Lacus Village, it's more likely that his influence has yet to take hold there yet," the Chief answered.

"And once we can notify King Zora, Kakariko Village, and Darunia," King Link started, "We'll strategically have the upper hand in this conflict."

Nohansen was amazed about the extent of his father's and the Chief of Sheikah's planning. Even with the advanced training he'd received from the General, he doubted that he could ever have planned out every aspect of their situation as they did. Surely with their expertise, this revolt would be over soon.

After what seemed like hours, the stairwell changed from the monotonous labyrinth of steps that it was to a flat, sloping floor that led into a wide cave. Their steps echoed louder than ever through the moist and stagnant air as they continued to descend further into the depths of the earth. As Nohansen looked down over the side of the walkway, he spotted a dim light that seemed to be reflecting from something. The sound of rushing water ran through his ears also.

"There is a boat docked at the bottom of this cave with oars," started the Chief of Sheikah, "Each of, save for His Majesty will take an oar."

"I will row with the rest of you," King Link interjected.

The Chief of Sheikah glanced back, seemingly surprised, "Your Majesty, you needn't stress yourself further. I and the Knights can take care of this."

"No, I won't sit back and have you all worked while I do nothing. I may be the King, but on the battlefield, we are equals."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the Chief of Sheikah replied, coming in accord with King Link.

At last, they stepped off of the final stone brick and onto the wet, rocky floor of the cave. The light source that Nohansen sighted earlier was the sunlight refracting from the river outside of the cave. Three wooden boats sat ashore near the water, sitting upon frames that held them in place.

The Chief of Sheikah led them to a boat. "Help me push it into the water."

The four Knights, Nohansen, and King Link approached the boat from the backside and they all gave a push. The boat easily slid from the frame, into the water, making a loud splash that echoed through the cave. Just as quick as the boat hit the water, they all jumped into it before it drifted to far from the cave's shore. As soon as they boarded, each man grabbed hold of an oar and took their places on the boat.

"I trust that every one of you knows how to row?" the Chief asked everyone.

They all nodded, prepared to go. Nohansen, however, did not have any idea how to row a boat, but for the sake of time, he was willing to learn on the job. They all began to row their oars, moving the boat slowly out of the cave and into the current of the river. The midday sun shone on them as they came from out of the cave. To Nohansen's surprise, the river's current suddenly pulled the boat from its easy cruise to a swift ride, causing him to fall over. On both sides, towering walls of rock and earth, carved by the river, reached all the way to the Castle Bridge. Nohansen couldn't help but wonder how much chaos had taken place since they escaped. Surely by now, the Castle would be under the control of the Dukes. He frowned slightly at the thought of the General's betrayal. Not only did he betray them, but he also didn't even have the honor to face them in the Throne Room along with the Dukes. Quickly, he brushed the painful memory out of his active thought as he began to participate in the navigation of the boat.

Gregora stood at a window in the Private Meeting Chamber, looking below at the lulling battle in the courtyards. As quickly as the takeover began, it seemed that it was also going to end too. Though they had the upper hand, he never thought it would have been as easy as it was to seize the Throne. Despite their victory at the Castle, he was still bothered by the fact that Link and his men were able to escape them. Had they'd been able to capture him too; the revolt would have been as good as complete.

"It seems that most of the Sheikah and rouge soldiers have fled the Castle," Gregora plainly noted, neither pleased nor displeased.

"Do you think we should pursue them in case they try to regroup?" Antoni asked, drinking some tea in a cup at the table.

"No," Aloiso, sitting at the table also, answered, "With this takeover, the situation here will be unstable in the Castle and in Castle Town. In addition to Kakariko, we need all the manpower we can stockpile."

"But if they meet up with Link-."

"They're nothing to worry about," Gregora interrupted Antoni, "Even if the fleeing men meet with Link's group somewhere, their numbers would be too insignificant to mount an offensive against the Castle. After we finish up here, our first priority is to finish business with the Sheikah," he finished saying, turning to them from the window.

"True," Antoni stated with an agreeing tone, "Not only are they reclusive, conniving monsters, but they've been hiding what apparently is supposed to be a power unparalleled by man, from what the legends say."

"This power sounds a lot like the Triforce," Aloiso noted, resting his chin in his hands.

"It could very well be, but why would they be entrusted to that?" Gregora asked in scorn, "They can't even be trusted to remain faithful servants! How could the Goddesses trust them with that kind of power?"

"Either way," Antoni continued, "This power would guarantee our absolute authority."

Suddenly, one of the room's doors opened. The General appeared from behind it and stood in the doorway. "Gentlemen," he began with a rather dark tone, "My men have found something of interest."

Antoni sat up in intrigue. "Something of interest?"

The General proceeded into the room. A soldier followed, pulling along Queen Zelda, her hands bound by rope. She looked bruised and dried blood was smeared by her mouth.

Aloiso stood up in astonishment. "Zelda?" he said in near disbelief.

"Where did you find her?" Gregora asked the General, curious as to how she failed to escape.

"I knew of at least one escape route from the Great Battle, twenty years ago, that I remembered hearing about, when someone told me of how the Chosen Hero escaped the Castle. I sent a group to see if anyone would escape there, and surely someone did. I expected to get Nohansen too, but he apparently went with his father instead," explained the General.

"Yes, yes, we know the boy went with that common cur," Antoni rudely replied to the General, "But this is still a fine catch."

"Who harmed her?" Aloiso asked.

"One of the soldiers with the group did in order to detain her. She fought them as they attempted to capture her."

"Who cares?" Antoni said, "It's not like she'll break if she has a bruise or two." He stood up from his chair and approached the former Queen Zelda. He grabbed her chin and examined her face with a mischievous grin. "That cur was lucky to have you as his own. Plenty would have loved to claim you."

"Antoni!" Aloiso called to him.

Antoni looked over to him.

"Don't you think about doing anything that will degrade her," he said in a very serious tone. "She may not be on our side, but she is of Royal blood, my cousin, no less."

Antoni frowned at him and then threw Zelda's face from him in slight frustration. "Whatever you say, Aloiso," he said in a scoffing manner, as he walked to his seat.

"What should be done with Her Majesty?" the General asked.

"We'll hold her in her proper room for now," Gregora answered, "And General," Gregora paused mid-sentence as he eyed the General, "She is no longer Queen of Hyrule, so do not address her as such."

The General nodded in understanding as he walked out of the room, followed by the soldier pulling Zelda along. Gregora took a seat by Antoni, as Aloiso also took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Well, it's comforting to know that we have a bargaining chip in the instance that Link's group does attempt to retaliate," Gregora remarked.

"Even though the situation with him is under control," Aloiso started, "What are we to do with the Zoras and the Gorons once our takeover is made public across the Kingdom?"

"Well, if they don't see it our way, then they can die with Link, once we catch him," Gregora replied to Aloiso.

"As much as I agree with killing them, I'd advise against provoking the Gorons," said Antoni. "They may be small in numbers, but we'd have more than we can handle if we had them as our enemies."

"The Zora's won't be much to worry about though, since they are historically reclusive to begin with," Gregora noted.

Aloiso looked past Antoni and Gregora to the window that showed the expansive blue sky. "This revolt is ours if we play smartly…"


	6. Chapter Five: Deadly Process

**Chapter Five: Deadly Process**

~~~It had been longer than Nohansen could recall that they had been drifting down Zora River. The sun was beginning to gain its afternoon luster as it shone down the earthen walls that surrounded them. It was positioned in the sky ahead of them, as if it was acting as a guide for direction. His arms were sore from rowing the boat for as long as they had been. He desperately wanted to take a break, but he didn't want to become a burden on the rest of the group. If he was to be as strong as the rest of them, he needed to push through the pain.

"How much further is it?" Nohansen shouted out, not caring who answered.

"We'll be in the Valley soon, so not too much farther after we make it there," answered the Chief of Sheikah. "However, the currents will become more treacherous the further into the Valley we go. We'll even pass through a few waterfalls on our way, so we must be alert!"

_"There's no way we could stay in the boat and go down a waterfall!"_

"A waterfall, sir?" asked a Knight, just as perplexed as Nohansen was. "How are we supposed to remain steady while we ride down a waterfall?"

"I will take care of that!" he answered the Knight.

Nohansen wondered what he meant by that. He knew that the Sheikah had many powers available to them, but he couldn't think of how he alone could keep them from succumbing to a waterfall. As Nohansen looked ahead of them, he caught sight of large mountains that peaked into view beyond the edge of the earthy walls of the river. They weren't grand landforms like the mountains of the East, but their red color made them a sight to behold, nonetheless.

"Chief of Sheikah," King Link said, "Will we be safe with those Gerudo rogues prowling the Valley?"

"Their camps are further north from here, so I don't think we'll have to contend with them on the river!" he answered.

What was a steady and swift ride suddenly turned into a turbulent rush as the river suddenly sloped, pulling them along faster than before. Water splashed into the boat with ever bounce the boat made. For as hot as the weather was, the water was icy cold as it soaked through Nohansen's clothes. As the boat bobbed along the river, Nohansen noticed a decidedly sharp turn in the river. If they didn't row correctly, their lives would be cut short with a collision against the rocky wall ahead of them.

"Turn hard left!" commanded the Chief.

Everyone in the boat began to paddle away from the coming wall. The boat slowly turned away from the wall, but it was still drifting towards it despite the change in direction. Suddenly, the Chief of Sheikah sat his oar aside and stood up. He thrust an arm out in the direction of the side of the river opposite to where they were headed and a chain swiftly flew from his sleeve. The end of the chain drove through the rock wall and anchored itself into it.

"Continue paddling away from the wall!" the Chief shouted as he began to pull on the chain. The boat gradually ceased moving toward the wall and began traveling forward again. As the boat regained its course, the Chief gave a sudden tug at his chain, freeing it from the wall. If he could do that, then what other surprises did he have?

Roughly, they continued their ride down the violent current of the Valley. Nohansen had grown used to the rhythmic splashes of water that continued to drench him. The water actually felt rather comforting to him at that point, with the heat of the day continuing to increase as the sun moved further west. Looking around, Nohansen could see that even the monotony of rowing was tiring out even the Knights, the perfected soldiers of the Kingdom. In addition to them barely having anything to eat, keeping the boat on course was becoming more and more arduous.

"Men, brace yourselves!" the Chief warned as he stood up once again.

Nohansen looked ahead to see what was coming only to be unnerved by a coming drop – a waterfall. What was he planning to do to save them from certain destruction? The Knights and King Link grabbed hold of the sides of the boat in preparation. Nohansen followed their lead, not wanting to fall out of the boat. The closer they got, the more unsettled his stomach became. The drop was no short distance either. Suddenly, the Chief brought his hands together, one clenching the other. The boat suddenly felt as if it was being pulled into the air by something. To confirm that he wasn't going crazy, Nohansen looked over the boat to see that it was getting farther from the water. The Chief of Sheikah was causing the boat to levitate. The boat swiftly began forward into the air, passing over the waterfall.

"Are we going to fly the rest of the way?" Nohansen asked, wondering why they didn't do this before if that was what he was doing.

The Chief glanced back with a smirk, not answering his question, and then suddenly, the boat dropped from its position in the sky, falling quickly to the river again. Just before it touched the water, the boat's descent halted and then eased into the rushing water until it no longer levitated. "No, Your Highness," he finally said, "Even what I just did takes much of my stamina. I can't do it too long."

The sun's deep golden afternoon glow had become an orange hue, signifying the closing of the day. After hours of hunger, rowing, and emergency maneuvering, they had finally passed their last mountain, now gazing at the vastness of Lake Hylia. Its still waters reflected a beautiful burnt orange color.

"Father, what are we going to do once we get there?" Nohansen asked, wondering what their plan was.

"We have a safe house prepared for us at the docks of Lacus Village," King Link began, "Once we make it there, we'll discover if whether the Dukes have control of the village or not. What comes next is dependent upon the village's situation." King Link sighed slightly. "Regardless, we will meet up with our soldiers, whatever the case may become."

"Your Majesty," one of the Knights started, "Who will scout out the town?"

"We will all disguise ourselves and do it. There shouldn't be a fear of being recognized, since we are so far from the Castle," King Link explained.

With all hope, Nohansen wanted this plan to go smoothly, but a lesson that the General once taught him came to mind as he thought about it: _On the battlefield, things never go as planned._ Forcing the discouraging thought back, he continued his seemingly endless rowing as they slowly made their way to Lacus Village.

Dozens of crumpled sheets of paper littered the wooden floor of a small room. In it, a woman with white hair, wearing a navy blue robe, sat in a wooden chair at a desk, writing with care on a piece of paper. Her red eyes slowly scanned each inked mark on the page as she meticulously wrote. She had been at her desk for hours, going through trial and error to write poetry, a pastime she acquired from Kakariko Village's former Village Chief. As a young girl, and later on as a maid, she loved reading his poetry. Every time she read one, she felt as if she was being taken to another place in time. It was a peaceful escape for her. Even now, she valued his poems, being more burdened down than ever as the village's new Chief.

Her slender eyebrows furrowed suddenly at a mistake that she found in her writing. With a tired sigh, she quickly crunched the sheet of paper into a ball and tossed it from her desk. As she did that, the door to the room opened, a Sheikah warrior coming from behind the door. In surprise, she stood from her chair to meet him.

"Village Chief," the young man began, "I just received a message from the Chief of Sheikah at the Castle," he said with tired lungs.

"A message?" she asked in confirmation. She wondered what it could be.

"I wishes to inform you that a coup de tat has occurred at Hyrule Castle and that he and the King have fled the Castle. The couriers also reported that the Prince and four Knights are with them."

She almost stumbled back in shock at the sudden news. "You said that Hyrule Castle was taken over? By who?" she inquired, coming to grips with the message.

"The Dukes of Hyrule and the General are the leaders of the plot. They commenced the takeover this morning and seized control this afternoon."

"Is the Queen safe?" she asked, hoping for a favorable answer.

"She was captured this afternoon," the Sheikah answered.

"No…" she muttered to herself in astonishment.

"The Chief of Sheikah wants you to prepare for war but to remain on standby until further instructions by him," the Sheikah finished.

"Um…okay, inform everyone to be on alert for war and to prepare to move out when ordered," she nervously said.

The Sheikah nodded in understanding and exited the room, closing the door behind him. She instantly fell to her knees, not able to stand on her feet any longer. How did things turn so wrong so quickly? She hoped the fighting would have been done for good with the Great Battle, twenty years ago, but there were still people out there who never wanted a cessation of running blood. Suddenly, she gasped at a frightening realization.

_"Our Father desires to save this Kingdom from its own destruction and to rule it with us by his side. For that, I will fight and kill to ensure that it happens,"_

_"What do you mean, 'save the Kingdom from its own destruction'?" Medi asked, confused at his words._

_"You haven't felt it? All around this Kingdom, dissenting voices and unrest fill the hearts of its people. Within this Kingdom's history, there is a source of hatred and greed that continues to fester in each person to this day. It won't be long before the poison strikes, and your Kingdom is filled with war and death. This is what our Father hopes to stop by taking your Kingdom," the Patriarch said with a grave tone._

_Medi's eyes slightly widened. "Our Kingdom will be filled with war and death?" she said with horror.~~~_

Medi held herself up with her hands as she struggled with that horrible memory. That man's prophecy was becoming a reality. Was such a terrible fate destined to occur in the Kingdom or was there still time to stop it? With the Castle already under hostile control, her chances of reversing this deadly process was slim, but something need to be done.

She regained her composure and stood to her feet with a new resolve. If she was going to stop fate from running its course, she needed to be stronger than ever.


	7. Chapter Six: The Dwindling Star

**Chapter Six: The Dwindling Star**

~~~The western skyline beyond Lake Hylia emitted a deep orange hue from the sun that had long since set as the boat finally docked at Lacus Village. A man dressed in a brown shirt and pants with a brown beret helped them anchor the boat to the dock. Nohansen could not see exactly what the man looked like, since the brim of his beret covered his eyes and the lack of brilliant sunlight further aided in his face's concealment. After the boat was secured, they all stepped out of it and onto the dock. With the close of the day, most of the fishermen had docked their boats for the day, so a scarce number of people remained at the wharf, allowing them to move about less conspicuously.

"Follow me to the safe house," the man said, with a weathered voice.

They all followed the man closely. Lacus Village was not as large or as urban as Castle Town, but it had a dingy and populated environment, nonetheless. The town's water-life economy made outdoor stalls and shops commonplace, though most of them were closed with the dimming daylight. They walked to a small alleyway just outside of the wharf and the man they followed stopped.

"Before we move on, I'd advice His Majesty, his son and the Knights to take off your armor and put it into this bag," he said, as he held out a burlap sack to hold their armor in. "I mean no disrespect, it's a safety measure, since the enemy's spies have been noted to be in this town."

"Spies?" Nohansen asked as he continued to remove his armor.

"Yes, they haven't totally taken control of this town. Most of the citizens still remain loyal to Your Highness and His Majesty, refusing to give in to the various forms of propaganda that they've tried to spread." He took the drawstring that laced the top of the sack and pulled it tight to secure it, and then he tossed it over his shoulder. "Even so, if the spies discover our presence here, we will be lucky to make it out of this town alive, let alone regrouping. Let's go." The man walked back out of the alley, followed by the rest of the group.

Though they no longer wore armor, The Knights still had their swords at their side as they carried their lances; Nohansen carried his halberd, and King Link had the Ogenbard at his hip. They still were a curious sight despite the lack of armor, but they at least weren't completely obvious. They eventually made it to a street and began down it. Windows of the buildings they passed were lit by candlelight with the twilight sky giving way to the hundreds of stars that began to light the sky. After they walked about the length of the street, the man turned into another alley, and the rest followed. He stopped in front of a wooden door and opened it. He motioned them all to move in quickly and they did so, him following after.

Inside, two other men were sitting by a small table with a lit oil lamp. They were also in the same clothes as the man that guided them.

"Did everything go well?" one of the men, significantly younger than the man that they followed, asked.

"Yes, we got here without anyone suspecting us," the man said, taking off his beret. His hair was white and from what Nohansen could see, his eyes were red; another Sheikah.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" a Knight asked, resting his lance against a nearby wall.

The other seated man, appearing a little older than the other, stood up, grabbed an unlit lamp and lit it with a flint. "Since it is night, there is little else we can do until the morning comes. Right now, the soldiers that retreated from Hyrule Castle are camped not too far from Lacus,"

"They are already here?" the Chief of Sheikah asked, seemingly surprised to hear that bit of information.

The man raised an eyebrow slightly, "Oh, you didn't know?"

"How could he?" the younger man said, "They were on a boat all day, they certainly weren't getting any information in that situation."

"You're right," the man said, smiling in slight embarrassment, "They sent someone here to inform us that they were camping at a safe distance from the village, awaiting further orders from His Majesty."

"And another thing he mentioned," the man that guided them started, "He said that the revolution's soldiers were not pursuing them. They were apparently going on with securing Castle Town and regrouping their forces."

"So they turned a blind eye to us?" King Link asked, more to himself than to the man.

"It seems so, for the moment. It doesn't mean we should get careless though."

The man holding the lamp started walking to a staircase. "Your beds are up here. We also have some food prepared as well. Follow me."

Though Zelda sat in her favorite reading chair, it no longer felt like her own. The dancing flame of the candle seemed to ridicule her current situation; its energetic dance making light of her circumstance. Though she was being treated well beyond what she expected, she did not count herself lucky in the slightest. Though Aloiso apparently seemed to have some genuine concern for her, she did not see the same sentiment in Gregora or Antoni. Of them, Antoni worried her the most. The way he gazed at her when she was brought in by the General still haunted her thoughts. He definitely did not have the greatest intentions for her well-being.

The living quarters, once inhabited also by Link and Nohansen seemed a sad shell of what it used to be to her. Though she was capable of defending herself well, she could not hope to escape from the King's Tower all the way out of the Castle without being seen. She would have to either become an invincible one-woman army or perform amazing acrobatic feats she was not capable of to escape. The only thing she was able to do was wait until she was rescued or until she was freed, by death or otherwise.

Suddenly, the door to the quarters opened; the General entering from it. He held her Kodachi in one hand. "The guards have delivered your meal, yes?" he asked as he walked further into the room.

"They have," she plainly answered, not looking back from her chair to him.

The General walked until he was standing in her line of sight and stopped. "Aren't you at least grateful that you aren't in the dungeons with the rest of the loyalists?"

Zelda made eye contact with him. "General Clausen, why do you betray us?" she boldly asked the aged warrior.

"To restore Hyrule to its former self. It's been in a steady state of decline for decades, starting with the death of the King that preceded your father. I've been sitting back, hoping that someone with backbone would show up and return our people into the powerful state it once was in, but instead I've had to watch as the Kingdom regressed into perverted democratic state." General Clausen walked over to the windows that displayed the stars that mingled the darkness. "Hyrule has become as the stars: a dwindling light in oppressing darkness. We need to return the power to the Throne and take it back from the hands of the people. They have seen your father's rule and your rule as weakness and they have slowly begun to run the Kingdom themselves rather than you."

"General, what do you expect us to do?" Zelda barked in a frustrated tone, "Barricade the Castle and rule from the shadows, tightly dictating every aspect of the Kingdom? That would be an abuse of our power! That is why King Gericen became a madman! He committed countless atrocities, including the Sheikah Conflict, in a paranoid frenzy that came from his power abuse!"

"Gericen was manic to begin with, but he at least knew to use his power when it was necessary. He didn't need to create these Duchies and all of these new political structures to rule!"

"You know very well why we did that!" Zelda said, standing to her feet, "With the new settlements and the situation with the Ranul and the Bulblin kind, we had to distribute rule to other hands in order to maintain it all. If there was a way we could have managed it all ourselves, we would have!"

"But therein is the problem!" General Clausen paused briefly, recollecting himself. "If you and Link were adequate rulers, you wouldn't have needed to create Dukes and then you would not have this problem."

They both said nothing for a few moments, glaring each other in the eyes. Suddenly, General Clausen raised the Kodachi to Zelda in offering. "I came here to deliver this to you. If anything, a warrior should at least be entitled to his weapon. Consider how you should use it."

Zelda cautiously took the weapon from his hand and watched as he walked out of the room in a rather hurried manner.


	8. Chapter Seven: Histories of Violence

**Chapter Seven: Histories of Violence**

~~~Her eyes slowly opened as she regained her complete consciousness from slumber. A dim, gray light shone through the window behind her as she inspected her room from her bed. Her mahogany wooden end table, the unlit paper lamp upon the table, her dresser, and the empty space in the rest of the room was exactly as she left it when she slept last night. In the back of her mind, she wondered how this day would play out for her, especially since her mother and father, as well as some of the village's warriors were acting on-edge for the better half of the previous night. Something was going on, but she was afraid to ask what, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer or not.

She had heard and read about the terrible things that had happened to Kakariko Village in ages gone by, concerning the Betrayal Incident that happened thirty-six years ago, how a mad King of Hyrule sought to eradicate her kind in a quick flash of military might. She heard of the torture chambers and the dungeons that were created beneath the town and their terrifying uses. Even though she hadn't experienced any kind of genocide or warfare in her fourteen years of life, the possibility still haunted her thoughts.

She sat up from the bed, dressed herself in her day clothes, a light blue robe over a white shirt and a light-blue hakama and left her room to start her duties. Maids moved throughout the manor in their usual busyness. Even though she was the daughter of the Village Chief, her mother made no exception in making her work just as much as the rest of the maids of the house. From what her mother told her, she used to be a maid herself in the manor before the Great Battle happened, which would explain why she was also being made to do the same work.

As she walked through the halls, she caught sight of the master maid, Seiki. She happened to be one of the exceptional Sheikahs of the community, born not with white hair, but blond hair instead.

"Seiki, good morning!" she said with a smile, bowing her head in greeting.

"Impa," she started with a soft and graceful voice, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. What's the first thing on the schedule today?" Impa asked stroking her hair as she spoke, more out of habit than of conscious effort.

Seiki tugged lightly on the white apron that draped over her robe as she consorted her thoughts for the answer to Impa's question. "Well, first we need to draw water from the well for today."

"Okay, I'll get to it," she replied as she started down the hall again.

The unstable storm clouds brought high winds with them, sweeping the mountainside with violent action. Impa's short hair made the wind not matter much to her, but she knew that carrying a pale of water back to the manor would prove to be tough work. The well wasn't too far from the manor; about a short walk was all it took for her to reach it. All the while, she noticed a few warriors patrolling the area, as if watching out for something without the village.

She had heard a few rumors circulating around the maid's lounging room earlier about a coup de tat that supposedly took place at Hyrule Castle the day before. Apparently, the King's trusted Dukes decided to revolt, driving out the King and his followers and establishing their own rule. If that was true, then perhaps the village was in the process of preparing for the possibility that they might also attack here to remove any support for the King. Even though most of the village's people were capable fighters, she knew that the worst would happen should the Dukes decide to march into the village.

She arrived at the simply constructed wooden well with a bucket for drawing water dangling over the well's opening. She began lowering the bucket into the abyss of the well carefully. She had heard stories of how the torture dungeons used by the Hylians during the Betrayal Incident reached far below the village from a hidden entrance and even connecting to the town well at the center of the village. The elders of the village told tales of how they could hear the excruciating screams of the prisoners within the dungeon echo out of the well as they were forced to draw up water for the sake of the occupying forces in the village. With the supposed revolution taking place, the thought of those dungeons being reopened terrified her.

At last, the bucket resurfaced, but as Impa looked to see how much water was in it, all the breath in her lungs left her immediately as she gazed upon a blood-filled pale. She almost dropped it back into the well before she regained her composure and held the rope in place. She mustered up her courage and peeked into it once again to reaffirm her discovery. To her surprise, it was merely water that sloshed about in the bucket, rather than the life essence of a body that she thought she'd seen.

After pulling the bucket out of the well, she slumped to the ground beside the well, holding her face in confusion.

_"What did I just see?"_

Nohansen and one of the four Knights walked through the bustling streets of Lacus Village's wharf. They both wore brown pants with brown jackets over a gray shirt with a brown beret. Their spies suggested that dressing that way was a common form of dress for the men who worked in the village, especially around the wharf, where most of the fishermen and butchers dressed that way. Their mission was to infiltrate the village and track down the known spies of the Dukes and get rid of them to ensure that Lacus Village was safe enough to become their area of operations for gathering their strengths for the coming battles. If the village was under the influence of the Dukes, then they would have to rendezvous with their army outside of the village in order to reduce their chances of being seen.

"I don't believe I ever got your name, Sir Knight," Nohansen said as they walked casually about the docks.

"Forgive me, Your Highness," he said quickly in apology, "My name is Fortisero of the house of Reduria."

"Fortisero…" Nohansen repeated, committing it to memory. "Oh, and please, don't use any honorifics with me. I'd much prefer it if you were to call me Nohansen."

"Yes, I shall call you by that from now on then," Fortisero's powerful voice sounded.

"Do you know exactly how we are supposed to find the spy?" Nohansen asked him, not entirely sure of their mission.

"From what I understand, we are supposed to find him working at one of the stalls around the wharf. The only description we have is that he is a man with black hair that he ties in a pony tail with a black beret."

"The seeing that just about everyone here has a beret on is enough to say that he isn't going to be easy to find," Nohansen said with a sigh.

Besides Nohansen and Fortisero, another Knight and the Chief of Sheikah were sent to find another spy near the town center, and two Knights along with King Link were sent to the outskirts of the town to find another spy there, meanwhile, two of their own spies were out on their own to find more spies. The intensity of their mission excited Nohansen, but at the same time, he wasn't really sure if he was ready to kill anyone, especially in such a barbaric and underhanded manner. Each of them was given knives that they carried in their sleeves for the occasion, but Nohansen wasn't so sure if he was prepared to fulfill the blade's purpose.

"Fortisero,"

The Knight's forest-green eyes made eye contact with Nohansen.

"Have you…ever killed anyone before?" he asked hesitantly, afraid of the response from his perceptively unabashed question.

"Yes, I have," Fortisero answered, "More times than I can count. Just about every Knight can say that their first kill was during the Great Battle. One man after another…each one impaled without a thought on my lance. Every one of them wanted me dead just as I wanted to kill them, but behind all of the commands and alliances was a man like any other. I often think: would I have been friends with those men had we met under different circumstances?" Fortisero suddenly glanced at Nohansen as if he had awakened from a daze. "Oh, don't mind my musing. The fact of the matter is that if I or my comrades had not killed those men, they would have definitely killed us all."

"You sound almost like my father," Nohansen noted, thinking deeply about his father's words.

_'I've seen enemies and friends die right in front of me. Before you take up your arm for battle, be sure that you are ready to lose those you love the most.'_

"Then I'm sure that he has told you of how he lost his greatest friend?" Fortisero said expectantly.

Nohansen looked at him with surprise. "I've never heard anything of that."

"This also happened during the Great Battle. He was a fellow Knight whom I had the pleasure of serving alongside of. His name was Viscen. Of all of the Knights, the General trusted him the most. When His Majesty was a soldier of Castle Guard, he met Viscen who was also a soldier at the time and they became great friends, even after Link left the Guard. During the battle, Viscen was unfortunate enough to encounter the leader of the Tribe of the Ranul, the Supreme Patriarch. They had a duel that ended in Viscen's death,"

"Wow…My father never told me about that," Nohansen said in a solemn tone.

"The sadness was almost more than he could bear, but Her Majesty helped him through it. It's not really a surprise to hear that he never told you the story."

His father's words suddenly made sense to him after this story. Nohansen's train of thought was abruptly interrupted as the clang of a bell rung nearby.

"Fresh fish just in from the catch! Come get your fresh fish right off the hook!" a man at one of the nearby stalls shouted out. Nohansen suddenly remembered that they were supposed to be looking out for the spy.

"Is that him?" Nohansen asked, trying to get a good look at him through the increasing crowd that began to gather at the stall.

The man behind the stall was an overweight man with no hair or a beret on his head; not the man they wanted.

"No, that isn't him." Fortisero said. "We're bound to find him though. There's no reason for him not to --." Fortisero suddenly halted his own words as he caught sight of a man with a black beret and long black hair tied in a ponytail fashion. He put his hand out in front of Nohansen to stop him. "The spy," he said in a whisper, "He's at that stall, moving the barrels of fish to the front from the alley behind the stall."

"How do we get to him without anyone noticing?" Nohansen asked.

"It looks as if we can get behind the store by going around on of the buildings. But we have to act quickly and without being seen."

"Are we going to kill him here?"

"No, doing that would alarm the town. We need to take him somewhere else so he could not be found after we kill him." Fortisero started to walk to an alleyway in between a set of buildings near the stall. "Stay close to me."

Nohansen followed nervously. With the secretive nature of this deed they were about to perform it almost seemed like they were going to commit to murder. Before they entered the alley, Fortisero pointed to a wheelbarrow sitting near them. "Take that with us. We'll need it to move him without being seen."

Nohansen took it and moved it into the alleyway with Fortisero. When they got to the end of the alleyway, Fortisero motioned to Nohansen to leave the wheelbarrow there. They turned into the more narrow part of the alley, which led to the alleyway directly behind the stall, where the spy would be. When they reached the corner of the building, they stopped. Fortisero peeked slightly out of their cover. The man was busy loading fish from a net into on of many barrels that littered the alleyway. Fortisero looked back at Nohansen and held out three fingers, counting down to one. When he had put down his last finger, he suddenly darted out from the corner, Nohansen following behind. All the man was able to do was lightly yelp as Fortisero tackled him to the ground, holding his mouth closed with a hand and squeezing his neck with an arm. Nohansen held the man's feet to the ground to prevent him from making any racket that would be heard by others. A few moments passed before the man finally collapsed, unconscious.

Nohansen and Fortisero both lifted the man's body and inserted it into an empty barrel and then put the lid on it to prevent him from falling out.

"Let's move before they see us!"


	9. Chapter Eight: Stabilization

**Chapter Eight: Stabilization**

~~~A squad of Castle Guard soldiers moved hastily down a narrow street with tall buildings that made the street forbiddingly dark, even in the middle of the day. Castle Town had become a frightening place to live in the last day since the revolution occurred. Riots among the townsfolk had been breaking out constantly between those in support of the revolution and those who still called themselves loyal to the King. In addition to the chaos born from the rioting, the Dukes had ordered multiple squadrons to locate any Loyalists and their hideouts and either arrest them or kill them. The bloodshed would not stop until every Loyalist had fled or died.

Eventually, the squad's leader halted his men, stopping and signaling with the gesture of a raised fist. "This is the location of the hideout we're looking for," the squad leader informed his men with a whisper. "This specific group is primarily made up of Sheikahs so use caution when engaging them."

"Understood, Squad Leader Millen," the soldier directly behind him replied with a whisper.

Millen readied his lance, a shorter length than the standard size since it was designed for indoor operations. With a free hand, he counted down from three to zero, preparing them for the start of the sequence.

Three.

Two.

One.

Zero…

With violent action, Millen rammed into the wooden door, blowing the door off its hinges. Inside, five men were standing at a table that had a crude map of Castle Town and a lamp on it. The men, equipped with swords, drew them in reaction to the sudden assault. Millen, the second soldier, and the one after that, went to the corners of the room as soon as they entered. The last two men entered and tossed spears at the men. The two spears hit two of the men, throwing them off their feet and to the ground. The remaining three moved to attack, one of them moving for Millen. He made a quick vertical slice at Millen, but it was promptly blocked with the movement of Millen's lance. In retaliation, he kicked the man in the stomach. He stumbled back as he attempted to regain his composure, but Millen did not allow him time for recovery; he thrust his lance into his chest and quickly pulled it out, a spray of blood following the retreating weapon.

As the man collapsed unwillingly to his death, the remaining foes also met their end at the hands of the other members of the squad.

"Squadmen, report." Millen commanded softly.

"Armus up."

"Gerad up."

"Weropa up."

"Jadcut up."

"Good," Millen said in response. He moved to a staircase and motioned them to form up by swinging around his straightened hand. The four others lined up behind him in the same order as the last time and they cautiously followed Millen up the stairs, the soldier in the rear watching behind them. The narrow staircase took a 90 degree turn, leading to a hallway with multiple doors. If anyone was on this floor when they entered, it was more than likely that they heard the struggle that took place. The chances that they were going to be ambushed were high.

As soon as Millen reached the last step, a man waiting in the open space to his right lunged at him with sudden speed. Millen dropped his lance to advert the zooming knife that the Loyalist tried to stab him with. Millen head butted the man, causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the floor. The fact that Millen wore a helmet made the blow worse; blood dripped from the place the man was hit. Millen picked up his lance again and continued forward with care. As soon as every one of them reached the top, Millen pointed in the direction of the other hallway that the man that attacked them came from. The last three men, Gerad, Weropa, and Jadcut, understood the signal and split from the squad, moving in that direction.

Millen continued until they reached the first door in the hall. They had to be thorough in this operation. No Loyalist was permitted to leave this building without being arrested or dead. He gave Armus a look as he put a free hand on the doorknob. Armus readied his lance as he awaited Millen's next move. Suddenly, Millen pushed the door open and ran in, Armus covering his back. The room contained two beds, an end table with an unlit lamp upon it, and a closet. Armus moved to the closet and prepared to open it as Millen pointed his lance at the closet, prepared to attack whatever came out of it. Armus pulled the door open and found a man hiding in it. Armus pulled him out and threw him to the ground, Millen's lance pointing at him for threat.

"Do you mean to surrender?" Millen asked with a silently commanding voice, trying not to make too much noise.

The man trembled, putting his hands out on the floor in submission to them. "P-p-please…Don't kill me! I give in!" the man nervously shouted.

Millen grabbed the man's head and slammed his face into the floor. "Keep your mouth quiet or we will kill you," he growled as he took a rope from his belt and tied the man's hands together.

"Squad Leader," Armus began, "How are we going to make sure he doesn't run?"

Millen looked at the frightened man's unrestrained feet. "I have a solution." He put one foot on one side of one of the man's legs and another foot on the opposite side and he swiveled his feet, snapping the man's leg. The detainee screamed in terror as the shock of the pain hit him. "Damn, this one can't stay quiet," Millen muttered. He walked out of the room, Armus following him.

They continued down the hall. The grunts and footfalls of Millen's men in another part of the floor could be heard as the moved. As they moved closer to the next door, Millen noticed that it was already open. This could mean any number of things, but he hoped that it was merely because someone was careless about closing it. Carefully, he inched close to the doorway, preparing for anything. Quickly, he moved into the room. Just as Armus started to clear through the doorway, the door slammed shut, barring his entry. Millen looked back to see a Loyalist running at him with a short sword. The man swung at Millen but missed as Millen stepped away from him. The room had two beds like the other room and the same furnishings, with the addition of a wooden chest, sitting between the two beds, under a window; not much room to move in.

The man swung again at Millen, but his sword was blocked by Millen's lance. Millen tried to kick the man away, but the man raised a leg to block his kick and threw a counter punch at Millen, knocking him back until he fell over the chest. In an attempt to finish Millen, the man stabbed at him, but Millen rolled away from the coming blade and got to his feet again. Taking advantage of his foe's defenselessness, he hit him with his lance, throwing him to the floor. Just as he hit the ground, Millen's lance sheathed itself into the man's torso.

"Glory to the true Royal Family…" the man uttered as he pulled out an object from a pocket; a bomb. With what little strength he had left, he lit it with a rough surface that he had on one of his fingers.

"NO!" Millen grabbed the time-oriented weapon and tossed it at the window. The bomb easily smashed through the window as Millen jumped to the floor to protect him. The bomb exploded, blowing the wall around the window to pieces that flew dangerously around Millen. The sound of the explosion muted his hearing, as he could only hear the sound of his heartbeat and breath and muffled versions of the sounds around him. He slowly stood up, regaining orientation. Luckily, there was no fire from the explosion or their problems would have been even bigger than they were now.

Millen opened the door to leave the room and to his surprise, Armus sat against a wall, holding a bleeding wound on his shoulder.

"Armus! What happened?" As he looked around, he noticed the body of another Loyalist laying on the floor near him. He was staked through the heart, but he must have surprised Armus after the ambush in the room.

"I'm alright," he started. "I just needed some time to recollect myself." He stood up slowly and grabbed his lance from the floor. "I'm ready."

They started down the hall once more. There was one last room to check and they would be done on their end. Millen certainly hoped that the ambushes were done with that last one but he could not be sure at this point.

_"These men here must know that they are outmatched. What are they trying to protect?"_

They stopped at the last door. They had to enter quickly and decisively. No mistakes could be made this time. Millen gripped the door handle and pushed the door open and ran in, Armus following very close behind. Again another bedroom, but to their surprise, there was a man in the room, but he hung by his neck from a rope draping from the ceiling; he killed himself. The man's face was distorted and filled with terror. Fresh tears trailed from his eyes as his body continued to sway pendulously. Compared to the man that surrendered, he was smarter. Nothing pleasant in the slightest awaited Loyalists who were captured.

"Armus, let's move back to the steps," Millen said, moving out of the room.

On their way back to the stairs, they picked up their new prisoner and helped him along, since his leg was snapped in half. At the stairs, Gerad, Weropa, and Jadcut waited. They apparently also had a detainee.

"What was that loud noise?" Gerad asked.

"One of the Loyalist tried to destroy me and the room with a bomb, but I got rid of it in time," he answered. "Does your prisoner have any information worth sharing?"

"No, he just surrendered to us," Weropa informed Millen.

"Kill him then. We don't need two of them," Millen ordered as he began down the stairs, almost dragging his detainee along with him, Armus following after.

Millen could hear the man desperately pleading for his life as he realized his fate. He was suddenly silenced by the sting of a lance.

Lanterns hung on hooks from the ceiling of the safe house's basement, illuminating Nohansen, King Link, the four Knights, the Chief of Sheikah, and two of their own spies. The spy that Nohansen and Fortisero had captured earlier that day was the only one they were able to capture. Every other target fought to the death, with one killing himself. If they were to be sure that they would meet no opposition with their link-up with the rest of their army, they needed to know as much about their situation as possible, which is why they planned to get the information from the spy that they had tied to a chair in the basement. Nohansen was relieved that he wouldn't have to go through with the killing, but he wasn't so sure if he was ready to watch a torture session either.

"Idei, do you think you can take care of him?" King Link asked, staring down the now awake spy.

"You mean the Chief of Sheikah?" one of the spies asked, not hearing the Chief's real name before.

Chief Idei approached the captured spy. The man kept his eyes to the floor of the room, not wanting to make eye contact with them.

"I can handle this," Idei said with a stern voice. "Spy," he said to the man, "What is your name?"

The man did not move or change is defeated expression.

"Okay then, 'Spy' will have to do for now," Idei said with a hint of sarcasm. He grabbed the man's chin and raised his head up until he could clearly see the man's eyes. The spy's eyes continued to avoid eye contact despite his forced position.

"What was your assignment in this village?" Idei asked sternly.

The man continued to pretend as if the question was never asked. Suddenly, the man jerked in pain as Idei suddenly tightened his grip on the spy's chin.

"What was your assignment in this village, 'Spy'?" he again asked, this time with more menace to his voice.

The man continued to speak nothing, letting out slight grunts as he endured the growing pain that Idei was bringing him.

"Ah…now I see," Idei started with a sudden revelation, "You are a propaganda agent, sent here to sway the people into turning from His Majesty."

The man finally made eye contact with Idei, looking surprised. "So…it is true…that your kind can see…the thoughts of others…" the man spoke, almost sounding proud to have discovered such.

"I also know your true name too," Idei told him, continuing to tighten his grip on his face.

"Heh…If you know all of this…then cut the theatrics…" the spy sarcastically remarked, grinning with a hint of confidence.

"No, no, 'Spy', your treason will not go unpunished." Idei's fingers suddenly broke through the spy's skin, allowing the blood beneath to freely drip from the wounds. He let go of the man's chin and grabbed a cloth to wipe the blood from his fingers. "Next question: Has your mission made significant progress?"

"Why don't you tell me?" the spy mouthed off.

Idei suddenly swung his fist at him like a hammer, hitting the side of his face and knocking him and his chair to the ground. "Don't forget your position, 'Spy'!" Idei barked in a terrifying tone. He walked to the fallen man and put a foot on his face and began to press down on him. "I want to hear it from your mouth!"

The man grunted, attempting to endure the pain, but it proved to be too much. "N-no! It hasn't! Please…stop!"

Idei lifted his foot, relieving the man of his crushing weight. "Tell me; are the people of this town still loyal to His Majesty?"

"Yes, for the most part, they all still believe in his broken regime," the spy muttered, intentionally spiting King Link.

"I think you've said enough," Idei said, drawing a Kodachi from his hip.

"No, wait! I can help you! I-I'll do whatever you want!" the spy pleaded, squirming on the floor as if he was trying to escape somehow.

"You gave up your right to live when you betrayed His Majesty."

The man began to yell and beg as Idei positioned his Kodachi for execution. With swift movement, he stabbed the Kodachi through the man's neck, causing them spy to gurgle rather than yell. Violently, he ripped the blade from the man's neck, almost tearing it off his shoulders. The man's body convulsed for a few moments before it ceased movement completely. Nohansen turned away from it, not able to bear the sight of the execution any longer. He understood that the man needed to die, but to see a man's death first hand was too much for him to take.

"We'll get rid of this dog's body," one of the safe house spies said.

"It's a relief to hear that we can actually make a move now," King Link said, relieved.

"And then we can see mother," Nohansen added, eagerly awaiting the warm smile from his mother when they meet up with the army.

"And then," Idei started, "We can finally crush those monsters."


	10. Chapter Nine: Pending Actions

**Chapter Nine: Pending Actions**

~~~Impa opened the door that led to her mother's work room. She found her mother, Medi, sitting at her desk. She was holding her head as if she was thinking about something. Impa slowly walked into the room, closing the door after entering.

"Mother…is something going on with the Kingdom?" she asked her, wanting to get answers about the rumors that she'd been hearing.

Medi sat up and turned around from her desk, slightly surprised to see her. "Is something troubling you, Impa?"

"Yes, I've been hearing things about the Castle being attacked and how they're going after Kakariko next." Impa paused for a moment. "Is that true?"

Medi's expression waxed serious as she heard Impa's words. "Those things are true," she plainly stated. "We have no idea exactly what they want with us or how far they will go to conquer us, but don't worry about it." Medi gave a warm and assuring smile. "These problems belong to me and the ones involved with protecting the village. We will make sure that you are safe, no matter what happens."

Impa looked to the floor with a melancholy gaze. "I also…had a vision. At least, that's what I think it was."

"Vision?" Medi repeated.

"When I drew water from the well earlier today, I saw not water, but blood filling the pail," she told her.

Medi said nothing for a few moments, trying to find the meaning in what she heard. Suddenly, she stood from her chair and embraced Impa, holding her tightly. "Please, don't trouble yourself. Have no fear for what will happen. Stay strong just as I and the village will remain strong."

Nohansen, King Link, Chief of Sheikah Idei, and the four Knights sat upon horses at the edge of Lacus Village. The setting sun shone on their backs as it slowly retreated to the horizon. Earlier, after they confirmed the situation of the village, they sent for the army that retreated from the Castle. At last, they could finally gain some meaningful strength to oppose the Dukes, but with a command of only about one third of the Castle Guard, they would be overwhelmed if they attempted to take on Hyrule Castle right away. They had decided on moving north from Lacus Village to Zora's Domain in hopes of rallying the support of King Mikau for their cause. The problem they would have to face, unfortunately, would be possible attacks from the colony of the Gerudo Tribe and the army placed at Fort Sapientia.

As they waited, something suddenly appeared over a far hill out into the plains. It was a horseman, followed by more that soon appeared after him. More and more horsemen began to appear, and soon, rows and rows of infantry units appeared, following after them. Their long-awaited army had finally arrived.

The moon was high in the sky before the army finally set up a base camp on the outskirts of the town. By the help of some of the citizens, they were able to make enough tents to house many of the soldiers and make-shift shelters for any without a tent. King Link did not allow the army to enter the village proper. He did not want to force them to accommodate them nor did he want to involve them in a war that they did not want.

Nohansen and King Link stood outside of a large tent, one in which they planned to meet in concerning their next move.

"Father, have they found her yet?" Nohansen asked solemnly. In the few hours that they had met the army, they had yet to find Queen Zelda. They were beginning to fear the worst.

"No, I haven't and neither has Idei," King Link replied. He stared off into space as he spoke, almost as if his body was without its spirit.

Nohansen looked down to the ground, lightly shaking his head in disappointment. "This was my fault… I should have stayed with her like you said,"

"We don't know if the Dukes have her or not yet. Don't blame yourself," King Link rebuked him quickly. "Even if you were with her, I don't think the outcome would be different."

"But still, I could have at least done something," he continued on, not letting his guilt leave.

"Son, you did what you could. You have to learn that some things that happen on the battlefield will be completely out of your control, beyond your blade's reach."

"Are you two prepared for the meeting?"

King Link and Nohansen looked to the voice's direction. Idei approached them, though his expression was graver than it usually was.

"I found out about Her Majesty's location. Brace yourself for it," Idei stoically warned King Link.

"What happened to her? King Link asked with a strong fear showing in his voice.

"One of my men reported to me that she was captured by General Clausen on the day of the coup. They are currently holding her in her residence. We still do not know what they plan to do with her yet."

"Mother is…captured?" Nohansen struggled to whisper, shocked at the discouraging information. He looked to his father for some kind of response but he was speechless. His eyes were wide and dilated, as if a ghost had taken his mind.

"Is she…safe?" King Link at last spoke.

"They have not brought harm to Her Majesty."

King Link suddenly turned to the tent and began to walk to it. "We will discuss this more inside," he spoke as he walked through the curtained entrance to the tent.

King Link, Nohansen, Idei, the four Knights, and two Sheikah stood around a detailed map of the Kingdom, sitting on a decrepit wooden table in the middle of the tent. They were finally going to discuss in official detail about their plans of action.

"Chief of Sheikah," King Link started, "Would you start us out on a report of what you have recently heard concerning the movements of the Duke's forces?"

Idei nodded and approached the map. "At this moment, they are still concerned with the stabilization of Castle Town. Since their takeover, Castle Town has fallen into disarray. The citizens are split between supporting His Majesty or supporting the traitors, causing riots and skirmishes in the streets between the Revolutionaries and those who don't support them."

"The process of stabilization is just about complete, however," one of the Sheikah in the room spoke. "What are worrisome are the rumors around their next plan of action." He walked to the map and pointed to the visual representation of Kakariko Village. "We have heard from various sources throughout their ranks that they are organizing an assault force to move on Kakariko Village at noon tomorrow."

"Kakariko Village?" one of the Knights exclaimed. "What would they want to do their?"

"We still have no idea what they would want with that village, but a few sources say that they are carrying out the wishes of the late King Gericen, concerning the Betrayal Incident," Idei explained.

"You mean the Sheikah Conflict?" a Knight asked, unfamiliar with the term Idei used.

Idei looked at the Knight for a moment before nodding his head in agreement.

"I have something that I need to inform you all on before we decide on anything else," King Link suddenly spoke out.

Everyone focused on him, interested in what he was going to say.

"My wife, your Queen, is being held hostage by the Dukes. We have no idea what they plan to do with her or why they are keeping her alive, but I have decided that we are going to rescue her."

"What?" Idei yelled in surprise, "Forgive my opposition, Your Majesty, but to try to rescue her would be to jeopardize our position. We are already at odds with inferior numbers and resources. We can't risk losing our King as well."

"But I can't allow them to treat her as if she is a dog! I know that Castle inside and out. With the appropriate amount of men, we can retrieve her and be back without much risk."

"Even if you have superior knowledge about the layout of the Castle, it does not change the fact that the Castle is well guarded," Idei refuted, his voice growing more intense.

King Link and Idei kept eye contact with each other for a few moments as if they challenged one another's spirits as well.

Idei suddenly let out a sigh. "Fine then, Your Majesty, we will proceed with rescuing Her Majesty before anything else." He pointed to a certain location on the map, just outside of Lacus Village. "One of our tunnel networks begin around this area. You and your men will go through it until it leads you directly underneath the Western Tower. Because that tower used to be mine, I know secrets of it that they would not know. From the tower's base, you will ascend from there until you reach the first floor of the tower, where the bridge is.

"There will likely be guards around the door, so the only way around them is to kill them. It'll be night, so you won't need to worry about being seen outside on the bridge. Because she is locked in the King's Tower, it'll be impossible to go through the Castle to the tower without being seen. Instead, you'll climb from the outside of the Castle until you reach the windows of the King's Tower. You'll retrieve Her Majesty and quickly return the way you came."

"How many will come with me?" King Link asked.

"Nine Sheikah. Including you, enough to be considered a Squadron by the Castle Guard," Idei answered. "Are you prepared to go tonight?"

King Link looked up to him, almost not expecting the proposal. "Yes, I am. The sooner we go the better."

"Your Majesty," one of the Knights, Fortisero, suddenly started, "In… In the event that you do not return, what would have us do?"

King Link stared down at the map silently, considering his answer. "Then the Chief of Sheikah will inform you next on what to do."

_Earlier that day…_

Millen walked briskly across the bridge that linked the Castle's main body to the Eastern Tower. He was on his way to turn in his report on the mission that they finished earlier that day. Unlike most of the Castle Guard who were only sent into Castle Town to quell the instability of the people, his squad and a few others were under different orders. They were tasked with locating the hideouts of various Loyalist groups and wiping them out, reporting anything they found on site to the Administration, the section of Castle Guard that handed down orders. Millen had a few questions and theories about what exactly the true intent of these missions was for, but he knew better than to pursue the answers. Especially with the line of work he had gotten involved in, finding out too much could prove to be his undoing.

The soldiers posted outside of the tower's entrance saluted him and then opened the double doors for him to enter. He walked through the lobby and began his ascent of the spiraling staircase. Though he knew not to look for answers, he couldn't help but wonder why the men they killed in the hideout were so eager to fight to the death. To Millen, death was always expected when on the battlefield, but he at least wanted to know what he might die for.

He arrived on the third floor of the tower and began to move to a door across the floor's lobby. Once he opened the door, he closed it shut. The small room had no source of light other than a soft, dancing flame on a candlestick that rested on a table that sat in front of a wall with a small opening for paper to be put in and out of, and a door that led behind the wall. Millen pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket and slid it through the opening. "I and my squad have carried out our orders. Our findings are within the print," Millen informed whoever received the paper.

From behind the wall, he could hear the sound of whoever was behind the wall examining the paper. Millen patiently waited as he – or they – looked over his report.

"Excellent work, Squad Leader Millen. We will send a search team out to look over the place," the voice behind the wall told him. "Here are your next orders," the voice said as a piece of paper slid through the opening and landed on the table in front of Millen.

He took the paper and looked over it.

_Squad Leader Millen of the Secretus Regiment. _

_Mission: Raid_

_Time: Sunrise_

_Location: East Side, Unmarked Apartment._

_Foes: At least half a dozen. No definite number._

_Conditions: Eliminate all Loyalist. Capture at your discretion._

"Orders have been received," Millen said as he put the tip of the paper into the flame of the candle. The flame caught onto the paper and Millen dropped it into a metal plate that sat beside the candlestick, letting the paper burn into ashes as he walked out.


	11. Chapter Ten: Treachery

**Chapter Ten: Treachery**

~~~Two men stood near a horse inside of a dark stable with only a candle giving light.

"Are you serious? Tonight?" one of the two men exclaimed. His eyebrows arched high, reflecting the surprise he felt.

"Yes, we can't waste any time in getting this information to them. Ride your best horse there. With the route that they are taking, they'll arrive before midnight," the other man said. He wore a hooded cloak, effectively concealing his identity to the man and possibly anyone else that might see him.

"I knew the King was rash, but I didn't think he'd go this far this fast!" The man extinguished his candlelight with a puff of air and then saddled up on a brown horse. "I'll get there as fast as I can."

"Good. This is their chance to claim their prized game," the enigmatic man spoke as he turned to walk away.

Idei, Link, and nine Sheikahs were walking out in the midst of Hyrule Field, almost out of eyesight from the base camp of the army. After a few last minute preparations, they were prepared to make their daring run to save Zelda from her damnation. Memories of the night that he raced to rescue her from the Dark Interlopers of the Great Battle ran through his mind. He didn't know if whether he should be feeling nostalgia or fear. Unlike the last time, when he had all of the might of the Light Spirits within him as the Chosen Hero of the Goddesses, he was vulnerable just like any other man. He no longer had the legendary strength or speed of the Heroes of Hyrule. All he had left to him was the Ogenbard and his skill acquired through too many life-threatening battles.

Idei, who led the way, stopped suddenly, the other Sheikah following suit. "We're here." He quickly performed a series of hand signs and then he touched the ground in front of him. The ground faded, revealing the entrance to the evasive underground network of the Sheikahs. "Follow my men. They will aid you getting to the Castle."

"Idei," Link started, "…Thanks for letting me do this."

Idei's eye's made contact with him. He looked gravely at Link. "If anything goes wrong, flee the Castle immediately. We can't lose both of you."

Link's eyes looked unsure for a few seconds before they formed an air of confidence. "I will." He and the group of Sheikahs started their descent into the tunnel, leaving Idei behind.

The tunnel was pitched black. Link strained his eyes as much as he could to see where he was going, but he found it no use. One of his men led him by the hand as they moved forward. The Sheikahs, with their ability to see beyond the normal, found it no trouble to navigate the darkness. Even as the King of Hyrule, he had never personally seen or navigated through Hyrule by way of the tunnel network created by the Sheikah of old.

"How long will this darkness last?" Link asked his guide, curious as to how they were supposed to traverse halfway across Hyrule in such a short time.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that you will be blind for the duration of our flight. There are no torches or candles or any other light sources so you will need to use me to travel," his guide answered.

"How exactly are we supposed to get to the Castle?"

"You will find out, Your Majesty," he plainly told him.

It was obvious to Link that he wasn't going to get a straight answer, so he had to trust them on it. They had to complete the mission before sunrise or they would not be able to go unseen through the Castle. Zelda depended on him to make it in time. Nohansen and the Kingdom depended on him to make it out alive.

_~~~Earlier that night…_

Link and Nohansen appeared from the tent, finished with their meeting. Link knew that Nohansen did not agree with him taking such a risk, but it was something that needed to be done. Nohansen followed him in silence as he went to prepare for the coming mission.

"If you're going, then I'm coming along," Nohansen finally spoke in a serious tone.

"No, you're not. One of us is enough for this," Link replied, quickly denying his son.

"But I'm the one responsible for this whole ordeal! Please allow me to make up for it!" Nohansen vehemently protested.

Link stopped and turned to face his son. "I know that you feel responsible for your mother being captured, but know that you are only one man. They must have known that you and she would be going that route or else she would have escaped unharmed," he said, trying to rid his son of his guilt.

"But aren't you only one man?" Nohansen rebutted furiously.

Link looked at him in shock, not expecting to hear him say that.

"You've told me countless times before that you no longer have the power you once had as a Hero. You are mortal just like all of us now. You can't expect to win every fight alone!"

"That is why I am taking a squadron of Sheikah with me."

"That's not my point!" Nohansen shouted. They were both silent for a moment as each other's words caught up with one another.

Link raised his hand and placed it on Nohansen's head. "I know that you are eager to show yourself to be a man, but you can't rush into it. When your time to act comes, you will know it." He could see the soft and slow-dripping tears coming from Nohansen's eyes. "I can't let you risk your life here. This is a job for me to do." Link rubbed Nohansen's head, trying to put him at ease.

"Please…make it back," Nohansen struggled to say through his choking emotions, "We all need you to make it back."

Nohansen's words ushered in memories of a story Zelda herself once spoke to him.

_~~~Link was quiet for a moment._

_"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine as long as you all are safe." Zelda looked down. "My mother also lived with the same thought," said she._

_Link glanced at her._

_"She was a very selfless person, devoting herself totally to my father and the Kingdom. She never complained and never let her emotions and pain show, even when I was born into the world."_

_Zelda paused. "The mid-wife said that I would likely not make it through the birth process if I wasn't born soon, so my mother made a bold decision that took its toll in many ways: She let them cut me out of her at the cost of her life."_

_Link's expression became subdued._

_"I never personally knew my mother, but I knew that she was willing to do anything for me. But it gave my father and the Kingdom great sadness."_

_Zelda formed a fist with her left hand. "Sometimes I don't know if I should love her for sacrificing herself for me, or rather I should hate her for causing my father grief."_

_"Link," Zelda said, turning to him._

_"Yes?"_

_"When the time comes for you to make that decision of life or death, make the choice for the happiness of the Kingdom and those around you."~~~_

Link smiled softly as he finished his memory. "And I will make it back."

Link told Nohansen that he would make it back, but in his mind, he wasn't sure that that would be the final result of the night. As much as he wanted to postpone going after Zelda, he knew that once the Dukes caught wind of their resistance, Zelda's life might be used as leverage against him. He had to strike as early as possible if he wanted to have the best chance at rescuing her from death.

"Your Majesty," his guide began, "Steel yourself. We are able to make our way to the Castle.

They suddenly stopped. He had no idea what was happening around him since he was without sight. He only heard the slight movements of his men. Suddenly, he noticed a thin stream of light ahead of him. He wasn't sure if it was a mind trick or if he was truly seeing it, but it was there.

"What is that beam of light there?"

"You…can see that?" his guide asked in surprise.

"So I'm not just seeing things," Link said with relief.

"This is the method that we will travel, but normally, this is something that only a Sheikah would be able to see."

"Well, I'm not sure if you knew, but I'm not exactly fully Hylian," Link said with a slight sense of pride.

"I see," his guide answered. "Follow me."

They began moving closer to the light stream until they were standing right before it.

"Extend your hand to the stream if you claim to be able to see it," his guide instructed him.

Link did as he instructed and put his hand into the light stream. Suddenly, a strange sensation came over his body. He felt light as air, as if gravity no longer had an effect on him. In addition, his eyesight strangely revealed everything around him. The darkness was no longer an issue as he could clearly see his nine Sheikah warriors and the wall of the tunnel. Instantly, as all of these sensations came to him, a sudden sense of speed occurred. He looked around him with his heightened eyesight and noticed that everything around him and his warriors moved at an incredibly fast rate. Apparently, this was the legendary method of travel that the Sheikah had been using for hundreds of years.

Zelda stood up from her chair as she heard the door to the room open up. General Clausen, followed by two soldiers, entered the room. Her eyes narrowed in aggravation as she turned to sit down again.

"It's late, General," Zelda plainly stated, looking out into the night through the windows.

"I don't really care to ask for your forgiveness either," he replied as he and his two men stepped further into the room. "I just found out some surprising news," he said as he came to a stop within Zelda's view.

Zelda continued to stare out of the windows, not paying him any attention.

"I don't suppose you should be happy to hear this, but your husband is on his way to rescue you."

A painful gasp left Zelda's chest as she heard General Clausen's words.

"It seems that no matter where he flees, there are people that he can't trust around him. One of his men agreed to sell information about Link's movements to the Dukes. As a result, there will be nothing they can do without us knowing of it."

Zelda suddenly grabbed her Kodachi that sat on a table beside her and unsheathed it as she stood up in opposition to General Clausen. "What are you planning you dastard?" she said angrily.

The two soldiers with General Clausen took fighting stances in response to Zelda's sudden hostility.

"Zelda put the blade down. You know you are outmatched here," he said calmly with a hint of confidence that she would comply.

"No, I will not let you kill Link. Have you no heart the one who once bled for your freedom?" she asked the General, sincere in her curiosity.

General Clausen did not respond right away, apparently caught off guard by the question. "He may have saved us all once from darkness, but a Hero is not always fit to become Ruler."

"But by no means was he a bad ruler or at all a cruel, power-hunger man like these Dukes are!" she shouted as she raised her Kodachi in preparation for an attack.

General Clausen sat his lance against Zelda's chair and put his hands up to show that he was disarmed. "Zelda, I do not want to hurt Link, but he is forcing my hand on the matter and it is becoming apparent that I will have to take him down. If I could, I would complete this campaign myself without any bloodshed, but –."

"Don't try to sell that excuse to me, Clausen! If you didn't want bloodshed then you would not have allowed the Dukes to carry this betrayal out!"

"Zelda, I have no more time to waste with you," General Clausen spoke as he motioned to his two guards. They moved in on her to detain her, but Zelda brandished her weapon, causing them to hesitate. One of the guards suddenly swung his lance at her to knock her down, but she dodged the blow and moved in on the soldier. She grabbed him and turned him around, holding him hostage with the Kodachi at his neck.

"Zelda, don't do this. You have no where to go," General Clausen pleaded, stepping back as she moved closer to him and the other guard with her hostage.

"If you truly do not want bloodshed, then you will allow me to escape. It's not like the Dukes will kill you for my escaping," Zelda suggested in a darkly manner, completely different from her usual soft and elegant mannerisms. She jerked the Kodachi closer to the guard's neck, lightly cutting it.

"If I let you go, then you will suffer a worse fate on the battlefield once our forces collide. You will not be spared. Is that truly what you want?"

"I'd much rather die on the end of a lance on the battlefield than to wait for death in confinement," she said as she continued to push the General and his guard towards the exit.

"Don't let her, General! I can –!" the guard-turned-hostage was stopped short of his words as the Kodachi's blade moved deeper into his neck.

"What is it going to be, General?" Zelda exclaimed impatiently.

General Clausen suddenly lunged at Zelda, grabbing her arm before she could slit the guard's neck in half. The hostage guard broke away and stumbled back, holding his neck in pain. General Clausen threw Zelda to the ground, taking her Kodachi from her hands as she fell.

"You've been lucky so far not to have suffered like the rest of the captives have. If you'd have killed him then not even Aloiso could have saved you from great suffering," he told her as he tossed her Kodachi to the floor near her. He walked over to his lance and picked it up from its resting place. "Pray to the Goddesses that Link does not come here. Nothing good awaits him." He turned and walked out of the room with his guards and the door slammed shut.

Zelda slowly got to her feet again, picking up her Kodachi as she did. Surely she would not get another chance of escape like that again. It was up to Link to save her at this point. All the same, she wished that Link would not have come for her since they now knew of his advent.

After what was one of the strangest experiences of Link's life, they had finally arrived at their destination. Strangely enough, Link's eyesight did not fade with the journey. He was still able to see in the once total darkness of the tunnel. The Sheikah that followed him were perplexed at the fact that he was able to see just as well as the rest of them. Once they resurfaced from the tunnels, they would be inside of the Western Tower of Hyrule Castle, where the mission would finally tell them of their fates.

After a few moments, they stepped out of the tunnel and into the bottom floor of the Western Tower. The room was empty and damp. It was clear that the lower floors of the tower were only used for traveling from the tunnels to the Western Tower's main floors and nothing else.

"Follow us up the stairs."

They began their flight to the Western Tower's bridge. Each floor they passed through was as empty as the last. They were probably there more for the structural integrity of the tower than they were for their content. After many flights, they made it to the top of the staircase. A wall impeded them, but not just any wall; this one had a series of markings on them, indicating something.

The Sheikah that led them up touched the wall with an index finger and traced a pattern on it until the markings started to glow a blue color. "Once I open this door, there's no going back. Are you prepared, Your Majesty?"

Link's heart was beating faster than ever. Deep in his mind, he wanted to shout no and run back the way they came, but he knew that such behavior was cowardice. His wife depended on his strength and he was not about to flee without trying. "Do it."

The Sheikah nodded and touched the wall with the palm of his hand. It suddenly faded, revealing the entrance to the Western Tower. Two guards were standing at the double doors of the Castle. The squadron of Sheikahs rushed through the gateway and after the shell-shocked guards and quickly felled them before they could react. They moved the bodies out of the way of the door and opened it, revealing the bridge, linking to the Castle.

"Stay close to us, Your Majesty."

They all began their dash across the bridge. The height of the Castle's main body blocked the moonlight from shining upon them, allowing them to move in darkness. After they crossed the bridge, they came to a stop, facing the Castle.

"Her residence is directly above us," the Sheikah pointed upward to signify. "We will set up our chains to link to the windows of the tower. Are you proficient in climbing?"

Link nodded. The truth was, he actually wasn't, but he wasn't going to let anything stop him from reaching her. Three of the Sheikahs unraveled their chains and linked them together and threw them upward to the tower. After they reached their destination, they pulled the chains to make sure that it was secure.

"One of us will follow you up to aid you. Hurry!"

Link grabbed on the chain and began his ascent, using his feet to walk up the wall of the Castle to aid him in moving faster. So far, they had gone undetected, thanks to the fact that most of their force was currently concentrated in Castle Town. After Link had gone as far as he could, using the wall, he pushed off of it and climbed the chain until he eventually reached the panoramic windows of his former home.

"Your Majesty, wait!" the Sheikah that followed him called out.

Link stopped climbing and waited for the Sheikah.

"Stay where you are," he said as he climbed over Link with ease and arrived at the top of the chain. He touched the window with one hand and a hole suddenly formed in it and he climbed in. Link hurriedly climbed to the top and entered through the new entrance.

"Link!" Zelda said as she ran to greet him. They both embraced each other warmly and exchanged a heart-felt kiss for a moment.

"Have they hurt you?" Link asked her.

"No, they haven't. Let's hurry; they know that you're coming!" Zelda urged Link as she walked to the window.

"I will carry her to the bottom for you, Your Majesty," the Sheikah that was with him said as he turned to the chain. As he went to grab for it, the chain suddenly released from its former spot and fell down to the bottom. "No…"

"What happened?" Link asked; worried at what held him up.

"We've been discovered!"

Zelda gasped and pulled out her Kodachi. The door to the room suddenly opened up, two guards coming in to investigate the sudden outburst. The Sheikah swiftly threw two needles at the guards, ending them both with blows to their necks.

"We need to hurry before the guards work their way up here!" the Sheikah suggested as he ran out of the room.

Zelda and Link followed after him; Link drew the Ogenbard to prepare for any danger. The hallway was empty, surprisingly. Either they had set a trap somewhere else or they simply did not expect them to reach Zelda so fast. Nevertheless, they dashed down the familiar hallway.

"Zelda," Link called, "Did you hear anything about what they were planning in preparation for us?"

Zelda thought a few seconds. "No, I heard nothing."

They came to the end of the hallway and turned to a staircase and ran down it until the reached the bottom. When they turned to the next hall, they suddenly stopped; General Clausen and a squadron of soldiers impeded their path.

"This is the end of your mischief, Link!" he barked, holding out his lance as a threat.

"Clausen, I'd heard from my son that you betrayed us. I didn't know that a man like you could have been bought so easily!" Link spat spitefully.

"Don't think that I'm in this for the money, Link. My reasons go deeper than whatever the Dukes may have done this for," he refuted, sounding a little disgraced at Link's comment.

"It doesn't matter anymore to me. Move out of our way or I will move you!" Link threatened, holding the Ogenbard with both hands.

"Even if you get past us, do you think even for a moment that you could possibly escape from the Castle?" General Clausen asked. "The rest of your men have already been taken out by my patrols. There is no where left for you to run."

"I won't submit to you traitors!" Link suddenly dashed at General Clausen.

The Sheikah that was with them did the same, preparing to cover Link's attack. General Clausen broke from his line-up and charged Link. As he got in range, General Clausen thrust his lance at Link, but Link easily sidestepped around it and made a thrust of his own at the General. General Clausen quickly twisted his body so that Link's sword slashed through his side rather than him getting stabbed by the sword. As they finished their exchange, one of the guards also broke from the line and attempted to attack Link while he recovered, but the Sheikah warrior was faster, stabbing the guard in the gut and disemboweling him as he pulled the dagger from him.

Link suddenly pivoted his back foot to face General Clausen again, using the momentum of his turn to swing his sword at him. General Clausen guarded himself by blocking the sword's path with his lance and then countered by ramming Link with his body, causing him to stumble back. As Link went backward, he turned his sword backward also and stabbed an incoming guard behind him and then took his sword back from the body, a torrent of blood following the blade's exit. General Clausen took advantage of Link's momentary defenselessness and swung his lance downward to hit him in the head, but Link spun to the side, dodging it and then swung his sword, slashing the General's side. General Clausen fell to one knee in response to the pain of the wound, holding his lance at ready to ward Link away from him.

"You don't need to die here. Just let us flee," Link offered, waiting for his answer. Suddenly, he heard the echo of more footsteps down the hall. He glanced over to see two squadrons of soldiers rushing to meet them.

"That is my answer, Link," General Clausen spoke darkly as he stood to his feet once again.

"Your Majesty, we are outmatched," the Sheikah warrior warned, stepping back while keeping a defensive stance.

Link eyed General Clausen carefully, considering his options. The Sheikah was right: they had no chance of escape. Regardless of his decision, he was sure he would die. But if he surrendered, Zelda might at least have a chance to live.

"Nohansen…Zelda…" Link looked over to Zelda. Tears were already running from her eyes as she realized their reality. "Forgive me." He held the Ogenbard out in front of him and dropped it to the ground. The silver blade clashed against the floor, echoing loudly though his ears.


End file.
